Ethan Vance was a control freak. After we started dating, he banned me from talking to other guys. He wouldn’t let me wear revealing clothes. Bars and clubs were strictly off-limits. For a long time, I thought it was just because he loved me too much. Until one night, I accompanied my best friend, Sienna, to a business gala. Two male clients tried to force drinks down our throats. Ethan suddenly burst in. With bloodshot eyes, he swept Sienna away, even though she hadn’t touched a single drop of alcohol. “Sienna, didn’t I tell you you’re too innocent for these kinds of events? Why do you always make me worry!” Then, he turned to me. His eyes were cold, filled with disgust. “I set so many rules for you, yet you’re still this wild. I knew you were the one who corrupted Sienna.” With that, he carried Sienna out of the VIP lounge. But I was the one who had been blocking the drinks for Sienna. Left behind in that room, I was brutally assaulted all night. When I finally dragged my broken body back home from the police station, Ethan was carefully tending to a perfectly unharmed Sienna. He didn’t even look up. “You’re back? I was just about to pick you up.” My entire body shook. The sheer humiliation ripped through my chest, making it hard to breathe. Using every last bit of my strength, I managed to speak: “Ethan, let’s break up.”

Ethan froze for two seconds, then let out a sharp, angry laugh. “Chloe, haven’t you had enough? You know Sienna gets scared easily, yet you still took her to a place like that.” “I’m just cleaning up your mess. Shouldn’t I take care of her?” I tightly clutched the police report receipt in my hand. Under my fingernails was the dried skin of the man I had scraped while fighting back. “Ethan, I was the one who was forced to drink. But you only took her away. Is Sienna your girlfriend, or am I?” “I know your tolerance. A few drinks wouldn’t get you drunk. But Sienna is different. She’s never had alcohol.” Ethan cut me off with a wave of his hand. “Besides, Sienna worked on this project for three months. If you walked out, what was the client supposed to do?” Hearing those words made my ears ring. Ethan and I had been together for six years. He used to hold me close, promising to protect me for the rest of my life. He used to treat me like his whole world, getting jealous for a whole day if another guy even looked at me. But now, for my best friend, he had abandoned me in a room full of monsters, letting them trample over me. I clenched my fists to keep myself from completely breaking down. “I called the police.” The living room fell dead silent. Ethan let out another sarcastic laugh. But he didn’t care why I called them. Instead, he tucked Sienna in gently, stood up, and marched over to confront me. “Just because you’re jealous, you’re going to ruin Sienna’s project with this drama? Chloe, when did you become so malicious?” “No, they… they assaulted me…” My swollen lips and bruised throat made it hurt to even speak. The words choked in my mouth. Ethan frowned, rubbing his temples with his long fingers. “Can you think about the consequences before you act?” Without letting me finish, he pulled out his phone, calling his connections to clean up the mess for Sienna’s project. Once he hung up, he threw me a cold look. “Drop the charges. Don’t make things difficult for Sienna at the company.” Then, seeing my bloodshot eyes and tightly clenched jaw, he paused for a fraction of a second. His Adam’s apple bobbed as he muttered, “Next time, listen to me. Don’t go to those places.” “I’ll go grab you some food. Wait for me at home.” I stood there frozen for a few seconds before walking toward the guest bedroom. Sienna was lying on the bed in her pristine white dress, her eyelashes fluttering slightly. I walked over to the bedside, my voice raw and hoarse. “I know you’re awake. You knew that client had bad intentions from the start, didn’t you?” “I just don’t get it. We grew up together. Why do you hate me so much?”

Realizing she couldn’t pretend anymore, Sienna opened her eyes and sat up. Seeing my disheveled, bruised state, a smug, triumphant smile flashed in her eyes. For a moment, I was dazed. Sienna was orphaned at six, and my parents had practically raised her. We were neighbors. Whenever she got bullied at school, I was always the one standing in front of her. We had twenty years of shared memories. Whether her innocence was real or fake, I could see right through it. I couldn’t reconcile the malicious woman in front of me with the little girl who used to look up to me with adoration. “Chloe, I’m sorry. But Ethan chose to save me. That’s not my fault.” “No matter what happens, you always do things perfectly. Maybe he just feels that, compared to you, an orphan like me needs more protection…” Sienna lowered her eyes, looking completely helpless and harmless. Looking at her face, I let out a self-deprecating laugh. Twenty years of kindness, and I had raised a snake. Neither of them deserved to be in my life anymore. “Sienna, this is the last time I will ever tolerate you. We are no longer friends.” I turned around and began packing my bags. Sienna’s lips trembled. She watched me, but not once did she apologize. Just as I was about to walk out the door with my suitcase, she suddenly leaned in and whispered in my ear: “Chloe, since you’ve decided to leave anyway, why don’t you help me one last time?” I ignored her and opened the door, only to see Ethan standing there, about to walk in. “Ah—!” The next second, a sharp scream echoed behind me. Sensing something was wrong, I spun around. Sienna’s hand had somehow wound up right under the wheel of my suitcase. Ethan shoved me aside and rushed over to scoop her up. When he looked back at me, his eyes were filled with fury and disappointment. “Chloe! What is wrong with you?!” His brow furrowed. Seeing my packed suitcase, he slammed the takeout bag onto the table. “You ruined Sienna’s deal, and now throwing a tantrum and running away isn’t enough—you have to hurt her too?” Sienna sobbed, shrinking into his chest, while Ethan gently blew on her reddened hand. Looking at the two of them, I felt nothing but intense disgust. “Ethan, we are completely over.” With that, I turned and stepped into the elevator. Even as the doors closed, I could hear him softly cooing to comfort Sienna. I went straight to a pharmacy to buy PEP, then checked into a hotel near the police station. During this time, Ethan only sent one message on Snapchat: [When you’ve thrown your tantrum, come home. I’ll pick you up.] I didn’t reply. To preserve the physical evidence of the assault, I didn’t even dare to shower. I just sat on the bed, staring blankly until dawn. Just as I was about to head to the police station to follow up, I received a video from Sienna. Intimate, blurry photos flooded my screen. A woman with a flushed, hazy face, her slender fingers digging into a man’s muscular back. The timestamp of the video was right after he had sent me the text saying he would pick me up. So, his compromise was nothing but guilt after cheating. A sharp, crushing pain hit my chest. I gasped for air, struggling to breathe. [Chloe, I don’t want to hide it from you anymore. Ethan and I have loved each other for a long time. We only held back because of you.] [All these years he controlled you because he didn’t want your wild behavior to corrupt my innocence.] [Last night, we finally took the final step. He was so much more passionate with me than he ever was with you. You never really had his heart or his body.] [Ethan loves things clean. You’re dirty now, Chloe. You don’t deserve him. Since you broke up, be a good ex and stay out of our lives.]

A wave of intense nausea hit me. Holding onto a tree by the curb, I threw up violently. I clutched my phone, my resolve hardening as I walked into the police station. But as soon as I entered, I saw Sienna. She pointed at me, handing a file to the detective. “I was there that night. I can testify that Chloe went willingly. She agreed to drink with Mr. Callahan and slept with him voluntarily.” My footsteps froze. A female officer walked over, handing me a few photos. “Miss Miller claims to be an eyewitness. She provided some photos showing that you were… highly cooperative and went willingly…” Willingly. I stared at those photos, feeling as if a bucket of filth had been dumped over my head. I couldn’t hold back anymore. I raised my hand and slapped Sienna hard across the face. At that moment, Ethan burst through the entrance. Seeing me, he froze. The question “Where have you been?” was still caught in his throat when he saw Sienna sobbing, clutching her red cheek. In an instant, his expression changed to pure, protective agony. He turned his dark, cold eyes toward me. “You hit her?” I said nothing, nor did I deny it. Sienna spoke up, her voice fragile and trembling. “Ethan, I only came here to apologize to Mr. Callahan and clean up Chloe’s mess. But she thinks I did it just to steal her client. She’s still mad that you took me away yesterday…” Ethan wrapped his arm around Sienna protectively, glaring at me. “Chloe, you’re getting more and more ridiculous!” “Sienna has been your friend for twenty years. Yet you ruined her career out of jealousy, and now you’re physically assaulting her? You’ve lost your mind.” “Yes, leaving you behind yesterday was my fault. But aren’t you perfectly fine? I don’t understand what you’re throwing a fit about!” The detective was about to speak up to defend me, but Sienna’s knees buckled, and she collapsed. Ethan quickly caught her. By the time he looked up to find me, I was already gone. I sat on the carpet of my hotel room, my mind completely blank. Suddenly, my phone buzzed. It was a text from the detective. [Miss Sterling, we have a new lead. Mr. Callahan and Miss Miller have a very close personal relationship. This might not be a simple assault case. We are gathering more evidence. Please hang tight.] My fingers trembled. My gut had been right. Sienna and that man weren’t just business partners. The doorbell rang. I dragged myself up to open it. Ethan stood there. Without a word, he pushed past me and walked in. Seeing my messy, open suitcase in the corner, he knelt down to pack my things. “Stop acting out. Let’s go home.” “We broke up. Please leave.” Ethan stopped and looked up at me. I didn’t say another word, pointing directly at the door. “Get out.” He sighed, his eyes softening slightly, but then his gaze froze on the prescription bottle on the table. “PEP?” He stared at me in disbelief, his voice tight. “Why are you taking this?” “None of your business.” I reached out to grab the bottle, but he snatched my wrist. The grip was so tight I winced in pain. He immediately let go, but his tone became accusing and harsh. “We only broke up yesterday, and today you’re already sleeping around? And now you have to take emergency STD prevention pills? Chloe, how could you be so cheap!” I clutched the pill bottle to my chest, my voice dead calm. “Ethan, we are over. What I do has nothing to do with you. I told you to get out. Do you not understand?” He stared at me, a storm of emotions brewing in his eyes. Then, he pulled a velvet box from his pocket. He opened it to reveal a diamond ring. “I was going to propose to you. Last night, I was waiting for you to finish your meeting so I could ask you…” Looking at the ring, I suddenly burst into laughter. Its design was the exact one Sienna had pointed out when the three of us went shopping years ago. This ring was probably just a toy he used to play with Sienna in bed last night. I laughed so hard my knees gave out, and I sank to the floor, burying my face in my hands as tears streamed down. Ethan knelt beside me, placing a hand on my shoulder. “I know you did this because you were angry. People make mistakes, Chloe. As long as you change, I won’t care that you’re dirty now. I’ll still marry you.” Dirty… As if triggered, I violently slapped his hand away. Unable to take it anymore, I shoved my phone screen in his face. “People make mistakes, right? Does that include you?” On the screen, the explicit video of him and Sienna was playing.

Ethan’s face drained of all color. Panic flashed across his eyes as he tried to grab the phone, but I pushed him away. “That time you went on a business trip and I was sick… Sienna came over to take care of me. I was burning up with a fever, and I mistook her for you…” “So you slept with her before yesterday, too?” I tossed the phone onto the bed. “Don’t bother explaining. It doesn’t matter anymore. We’re going our separate ways.” “Separate ways?” He stood up, his chest heaving. “I made a mistake, but are you completely innocent?” “You suddenly demanded a breakup. Was it really because I left you behind, or because you were already cheating on me?” My eyes widened in utter disbelief. “If not, why did you pack your bags? If you didn’t sleep around, why are you taking PEP?” “Chloe, since we’ve both cheated, let’s just put this behind us. We’ll get married and live a good life. Neither of us will ever bring it up again, okay?” “I am not marrying a piece of trash who abandoned me!” I shoved him toward the door. Ethan stumbled, his shoulder hitting the wall. Seeing my stubbornness, his temper flared, and his voice rose. “If you won’t marry me, I’ll marry Sienna!” “At least she’s pure and clean, unlike you, sleeping around. She’s much more fit to be a wife!” I stopped shoving him and let go. Ethan didn’t leave. He just stood there, watching me silently. I looked up, a cold smirk playing on my lips, though my eyes remained dead. “You’re right. Compared to me, she suits you perfectly.” For the next few days, Ethan didn’t show up. Once I felt slightly better, I returned to the office. As soon as I walked in, my colleague, Maya, smiled and grabbed my arm. “Chloe! The company is hosting a Valentine’s Day party. Since you’re back, let’s go check it out.” “I don’t really want to…” Before I could finish, Maya was already pulling me toward the main event hall. “I know you hate these things, but you can at least help me pick out a guy.” The next second, my heart dropped. Ethan, dressed in a sharp suit, walked in. Behind him was Sienna, wearing a sweet, triumphant smile. Seeing me, Ethan froze. Sienna let go of his arm and strolled over to me. “Chloe, you just broke up with Ethan. Why are you already at a matchmaking party?” The room went quiet. Whispers started, and eyes poked at me like needles. Behind her, Ethan’s jaw tightened, his eyes icy. Sienna smiled, deliberately flaunting the diamond ring on her ring finger. I set down my plate of cake and looked her dead in the eye. “You care so much about my life? I guess it makes sense, since you love picking up my trash.” Sienna’s smile stiffened, her expression turning ugly. “You know exactly who was dumped here.” “You spent the whole night drinking with Mr. Callahan and couldn’t even close the deal. Then you filed a fake police report out of spite. I wonder if the boss knows about this?” Our boss cleared his throat, his gaze shifting toward me with suspicion. “Chloe, what is she talking about?” Before I could speak, Sienna pulled out her phone. On the projector screen, a zoomed-in photo of me, flushed and being forced to drink by Callahan in the VIP room, flashed for everyone to see. “Chloe has always been wild and open. She’ll drink with any man.” The murmurs in the room grew louder. Ethan’s jaw clenched so hard the bone showed. He stared at me, then slapped Sienna’s hand down. “Are you really that desperate?” His voice was low, laced with suppressed fury. “We just broke up, and you’re already looking for a new man?” Sienna watched Ethan’s reaction, and her smug look faltered. She raised her voice, looking around the room. “I told you, Chloe can’t stand being single for even a day.” She stepped over to the computer and cast her phone to the screen. Photos of me in bikinis and hot tubs during our past vacations started sliding across the screen one by one. “Chloe knows exactly what men want to see. She uses her body to her full advantage—unlike me, I’m way too conservative and shy.” My hands began to shake violently. My vision blurred. The horrific memories of that night rushed back like a tidal wave, suffocating me. Seeing my pale face, Ethan reached out to support me, but then pulled his hand back. “Chloe, this is the price for not listening to me and leaving.” “Don’t worry. Once this blows over, if you swallow your pride, I’ll still marry you.” The mockery and whispers behind me escalated into a roar. I fled the office, pulled out my phone, sent my resignation email, and booked a flight. Only one thought echoed in my mind: Go somewhere where nobody knows me. At the airport, my phone buzzed constantly. Ethan called more than twenty times, but I ignored every single one. After my plane took off, the police finally uncovered new evidence. Unable to reach me, they called Ethan. “Mr. Vance, we have made a breakthrough in Miss Sterling’s sexual assault case. Please have her come to the station immediately.” Ethan’s pupils contracted in sheer horror. “What did you say? Assault?”

🌟 Continue the story here 👉🏻 📲 Download the “NovelMaster” app 🔍 search for “452048”, and watch the full series ✨! #NovelMaster

Five years after my husband’s vasectomy, I found a reservation confirmation for a luxury postpartum recovery retreat on his phone. The mother’s name: Lacey Sterling. How ironic. She was my adoptive sister, the fake heiress who had been kicked out of our family years ago. Seeing he could no longer hide it, Julian Vance laid his cards on the table. “Lacey won’t threaten your position, Serena. Once the baby is born, he will only call you Mom.” “If you agree to this, we can go on as we always have. I’ll take you to Aspen for Christmas. If not… then we have no choice but to divorce.” Julian was absolutely certain I couldn’t bear to leave him. But before he could even finish his speech, I had already signed the divorce papers. In my past life, I refused to let go. I spent my entire life fighting Lacey, got breast cancer from the sheer stress, and didn’t even make it to thirty-five. So in this life, I played along. I secretly slipped long-term contraceptives into Julian’s food. Yet, Lacey still got pregnant. I almost laughed myself to death. Julian, you wanted to take me to see the ocean? I hope you like drowning in your own lies.

“I have no objections to the property division. After the mandatory thirty-day waiting period, we’ll finalize the divorce.” I pushed the signed divorce agreement across the table. Julian froze. Clearly, he never expected me to walk away so easily. He stared at my signature on the paper. After a long struggle, he finally spoke. “Serena, I had no choice.” “When we were young, you said you had a heart condition and couldn’t have children. I got a vasectomy for you. Back then, I thought having you was enough. But I’m thirty-five now. Men change when they reach this age.” “I am the only son. The Vance family legacy cannot end with me. I want a child—a child with my own blood to inherit the empire. Is that so wrong?” Julian became more excited as he spoke, acting as if he were the real victim here. I listened quietly, barely holding back a laugh. Honestly. If you cheat, you cheat. If you change your mind, just say so. Don’t make up a million noble excuses. Just give me my money. That’s all that matters. But I kept my face blank, letting a look of unbearable heartbreak wash over me. My voice trembled. “You’re not wrong, Julian. Neither of us is.” “Since you want a child, and I can’t give you one, I can’t force myself to raise another woman’s baby. I’ll let you go. I’ll let you, Lacey, and your baby be happy.” I stood up, turned my back to him, and walked to the window. My shoulders shook slightly, making it look like I was crying my eyes out. “Let’s just get divorced, Julian.” I heard his footsteps stop behind me. Then came the sound of a pen scratching against paper. Julian signed. “Serena, I’ll transfer another two hundred million dollars to your account as compensation. In my heart, you’ll always be my wife.” With that, Julian left. I stared at the snow falling outside the window. A slow smile spread across my face, my eyes completely dry. I took out my phone and sent a quick text to my private investigator: [Keep a close eye on Lacey Sterling. Also, dig up every man she’s been close to in the last three years, and get the baby’s hospital records.] [Double the bonus if you find something juicy.] I, Serena Sterling, was no saint. I wasn’t about to let this trashy couple off the hook so easily. I just had to wait. I would wait until Julian was drunk on the joy of having a “heir,” wait until Lacey paraded the baby everywhere, and wait until my former mother-in-law treated this bastard child like royalty. And then, I would give them a gentle push. The sound of their fall would be music to my ears.

During the month of our divorce waiting period, Victoria Vance’s Instagram was incredibly active. She used to complain constantly about my inability to have children. She only held back because Julian protected me and because of the Sterling family’s influence. Now that Julian and I were parting ways, and she suddenly had a grandson, she couldn’t stop bragging. Every day, she posted nine-image grids showing off the luxury postpartum suite and the baby. At first, she tested the waters with subtle gloating: [Grandma’s little angel is here! A healthy eight-pound baby boy. He takes after his mom. Lacey is so strong and amazing!] Then, she shared a passive-aggressive article titled, “Ten Qualities of a Good Wife.” She commented: [Thank god Lacey is fertile, or the Vance bloodline would have ended! I shudder just thinking about it.] In the end, she stopped hiding it entirely and posted: [Lacey is a million times better than that useless ex-wife. I hope Lacey recovers quickly so she can give us a granddaughter next!] It was hilarious to watch. But I played the heartbroken victim for a whole month, milking Julian’s guilt for all it was worth. When the divorce was finalized, I walked away with two billion dollars in cash and five luxury properties in prime downtown locations. At first, I didn’t really understand what two billion dollars meant. Until my wealth manager told me that the daily interest alone was about a hundred and sixty thousand dollars. That meant no matter how late I slept in and nothing I spent each day, a hundred and sixty thousand more dollars would be waiting for me the next morning. How exhausting. Too much money is truly a burden. Holding the divorce certificate, I looked up at Julian. For the sake of the two billion, I gave him a sweet, polite smile. “Mr. Vance, I wish you and Lacey a lifetime of happiness.” “Take care of yourself.” Julian seemed choked up by the formal “Mr. Vance.” He instinctively reached out to grab my wrist. He opened his mouth, wanting to say more. “Julian!” Lacey’s voice suddenly cut in. She stepped quickly out of a luxury van parked by the curb. To mark her territory, she wrapped her arm around Julian’s right in front of me. Her eyes swept over the divorce papers in my hand, and she could barely contain her smug grin. “I’m still recovering, and I shouldn’t be out in the wind. But on such an important day, how could I not be by your side? Serena, you don’t mind that I took him, do you?” “Even though our parents kicked me out of the Sterling house back then, you’ll always be my only sister in my heart.” “Julian and I are going to host our wedding and the baby’s party together. You absolutely must come!” I sneered inwardly. Lacey hadn’t even cleaned up her own mess yet, and here she was, trying to flex on me. Thinking about the dirt my private investigator had sent me a few days ago, I decided to give the happy couple an early wedding present. I grabbed Lacey’s hand, my eyes turning red with fake emotion. “How could I blame you, my sweet sister?” “I heard that after you left the Sterling family, you worked at ‘The Velvet Room.’ Hosting clients and pouring drinks… that must have been so hard. You almost got into major trouble… luckily, that old client, Mr. Marcus Kane, had a change of heart and got you a job at the luxury boutique counter.” “And that’s how you met Julian.” Julian’s face turned instantly dark the moment he heard “The Velvet Room.” That was a highly exclusive, shady VIP lounge. With Lacey’s looks, she certainly wasn’t working there as a cashier. He yanked his arm out of Lacey’s grip and turned on her. “You worked at The Velvet Room?” Seeing Julian snap, I quickly covered my mouth, looking shocked and regretful. “Lacey… you didn’t tell Julian about that?” Lacey panicked. It had been almost ten years. The owner of The Velvet Room had changed. How could I possibly know about this? Lacey reached out again to grab Julian’s arm, but he pushed her away in disgust. “I… I didn’t! No!” “Julian, don’t listen to her! She’s trying to ruin me!” I listened to her accusations, shook my head, and looked at her like she was a misbehaving child. “Lacey, you don’t understand. Julian hates being lied to more than anything.” “Besides, some secrets can’t be kept forever. People in our circle used to see you at The Velvet Room back then. When Julian bumps into them in the future, it’s going to be so… awkward.” I didn’t finish the sentence. I just sighed, turned, and walked away. Sure enough, before I even reached my car, I heard Julian’s roaring voice behind me: “A cashier? My ass!” “Lacey, don’t you dare play me for a fool. We both know what kind of place that is. You better tell me the truth right now!” “Or when I find out myself, I’ll make your life a living hell!”

Before Julian could even investigate, the scandal had already spread like wildfire through our social circle. Since Victoria Vance had been so passive-aggressive on Instagram, My parents, under my suggestion, didn’t miss the chance to kick them while they were down. What started as whispers behind the Vance family’s backs quickly became public gossip. “Did you hear? The new girl Julian brought home used to be a hostess at The Velvet Room. Everyone knows what goes on there.” “Exactly. No wonder the Sterling family agreed to the divorce so quickly. They were disgusted. Men really will eat trash just because it’s outside their house.” “I heard some guy named Marcus Kane used to keep her. He was the one who got her the retail job where she snagged Julian. There are probably other guys too. Julian is basically wearing a giant neon green sign on his head.” Victoria Vance clearly had no idea about Lacey’s past. She was probably furious. Word was that if the baby didn’t need breastfeeding, she would have kicked Lacey out of the house on the spot. Julian’s situation was even more embarrassing. Victoria could hide at home, but Julian had to show his face at work every day. Some arrogant rival even went up to Julian to mock him face-to-face: “Julian, man, women are like shoes. Only your feet know if they fit. Some shoes look brand new, but you never know how many guys have already worn them.” The man laughed sleazily. Julian’s veins looked ready to pop, but because of the other man’s powerful family, he could only slam the door and leave. Behind him, the room erupted into loud, mocking laughter. The grand wedding Lacey had bragged about was completely canceled. Instead, all I got was a late, low-key invitation for a simple baby shower. It looked like the Vance family was holding off on giving Lacey a legal ring. Seeing me stare at the invitation, Sebastian Cole leaned in. “What’s got you so focused?” My thoughts were pulled back. I looked up and stroked his face, replying casually, “Nothing. Are you done with classes?” I had “picked up” Sebastian at a VIP lounge. Maybe women just have a natural savior complex. At the time, I was supposed to be “grieving” my divorce, but in reality, I was having the time of my life with my girls at a private club. When I went out for some air, I stumbled upon a drunk, fat businessman grabbing Sebastian outside my private suite, trying to force himself on him. Maybe it was because I had had a few drinks. My body moved faster than my brain. I threw my limited-edition Hermès clutch straight at the back of the businessman’s head. “Ow! Who the hell—” The man groaned, holding his head as he spun around furiously. But when he saw it was me, the anger on his face froze. It shifted from rage to shock, and finally to a flattering, awkward smile. “Miss Sterling?” “My bad, my bad! I didn’t know he was yours, I swear…” “Get lost!” The man didn’t dare argue. He bowed and scrambled away. I looked Sebastian up and down. He had a clean, artistic vibe, long hair, and looked almost delicate from behind. But he was a fresh face. Definitely not a regular at the club. “First day on the job?” He stood in the shadows. Looking embarrassed, he nodded stiffly. “How old are you?” I asked, my voice calm. “Twenty-one.” “A student?” “Fine Arts, junior year.” “Why are you here?” Sebastian bit his lip, hesitating before speaking. “I needed money. Someone told me I could make quick cash here. I didn’t expect…” I raised an eyebrow, understanding immediately. He had probably been tricked into coming here. Clean, beautiful, and extremely pleasing to the eye. My heart stirred. Julian had his little plaything, so why couldn’t I, Serena Sterling, have some eye candy of my own? “Ten million dollars. Stay with me for a year.” “I’ll give you an apartment, a car, and money. Just be good, look pretty, and don’t cause trouble.” “Got it?” Sebastian held his breath. The color drained from his face and then rushed back. Finally, he seemed to accept his fate. “Got it.” And that was how I “adopted” Sebastian Cole. Sebastian rubbed his soft hair against my palm. “Yeah, classes are done.” “No classes for the next two days. I can stay with you.” I smiled. “Good. There’s a gala tomorrow night. Come with me.”

To save face, the Vance family made this gala incredibly grand. They invited everyone who was anyone in the city. When I arrived with Sebastian, Julian was at the entrance greeting guests. His eyes widened when he saw me. When we were married, I always dressed in modest, elegant pastel tones. Now that I was divorced, I wore a fitted, silk red dress that hugged my curves, making me look bold and dangerous. Julian didn’t expect me to show up. He walked over, his eyes filled with admiration and excitement. He was a completely different person from the cold man who had demanded a divorce. I sneered inside. Men are always like this. They don’t value you when they have you, but they crave you the moment you leave. “Serena, I didn’t think you’d actually come.” “You look beautiful tonight. I…” Before he could finish, Sebastian took a step forward, wrapping his arm intimately around my waist. Julian froze, looking between us. “And this is…?” I smiled, introducing him warmly. “My boyfriend, Sebastian Cole.” Julian’s face instantly twisted. “Boyfriend?” he hissed, his voice cracking. “Serena, we barely got divorced, and you already have a boyfriend? Isn’t that a bit much?!” Looking at his furious face, I found it hilarious. I knew what he wanted. He wanted to see his ex-wife miserable, lonely, and pining after him forever. Keep dreaming! I replied smoothly, showing no mercy. “Yes, Mr. Vance. We did just get divorced…” “But you already have a whole baby.” Julian was rendered speechless, his face turning pale. Not far away, Victoria Vance noticed the commotion. She hurried over, cradling the baby. She fake-smiled at me. “Serena, you’re here.” “Perfect. Let Grandma’s little angel see our… oh, I guess you’re Aunt Serena now!” As she spoke, she tilted the baby toward me on purpose. She was trying to make me jealous. She sighed dramatically. “A woman is only complete when she has a child.” “Our family is blessed to get a healthy baby boy on the first try. Unlike some people who will never know what it feels like to be a mother. How sad. Don’t you think so, Serena?” Before I could reply, Lacey walked over from the VIP lounge. Before she could even get close, Victoria glared at her. “What are you doing out here?” Victoria muttered under her breath. “Stop embarrassing us and get back to the lounge.” Lacey went pale. But she pressed on, clearly trying to win points with her mother-in-law. She immediately targeted me. “Personally, I think divorced women should have some self-respect. Dragging around some young, broke guy who just wants to live off your money… how embarrassing.” “Once you get old and your money is gone, you won’t even have a child to care for you.” “These young boys run faster than anyone.” I listened quietly, not angry at all, just annoyed by the noise. But Sebastian, next to me, tightened his grip, looking ready to defend me. I squeezed his wrist, telling him to stay calm. I didn’t waste my breath on them. Instead, I sighed and acted weak. “Whatever. Let’s not ruin the night. Isn’t it time for the toast?” Seeing me back down, Victoria looked satisfied. She nodded at Lacey and didn’t tell her to go back anymore, even letting her hold the baby on stage. Julian, seemingly regaining his pride from Lacey’s words, straightened his posture and walked past me. He led his mother, Lacey, and the baby onto the stage. Julian stood before the microphone. The lights dimmed, the giant screen lit up, and all eyes in the room turned to him. He cast a smug, confident glance at me. “Thank you all for joining us tonight to celebrate this wonderful milestone for the Vance family.” “The birth of my son is a true blessing. I wanted to share this joy with everyone. Next, let us—” According to the schedule, the moment Julian finished speaking, Upbeat music should have started playing, and the giant screen behind them should have shown a heartwarming video of their family of three. But there was no music. Instead, a loud screech of static echoed through the speakers, and the screen flickered to life. It was a secretly recorded video. In a dimly lit hotel room, Marcus Kane was holding Lacey tight, whispering suggestively, “Oh, my little angel. You finally came. I missed you so much!” “How is it going? Did those idiots at the Vance house find out anything?” Lacey in the video laughed smugly. “Don’t worry. The old lady just found out I used to work at The Velvet Room, so she immediately took the baby for a DNA test. Lucky for us, you were smart enough to bribe the private clinic.” Lacey waved a paper report in Marcus’s face, laughing hysterically. “Now, it’s black and white. The paper says the baby is Julian’s.” “That idiot Julian will spend his whole life raising your kid, and he’ll never even know!”

🌟 Continue the story here 👉🏻 📲 Download the “NovelMaster” app 🔍 search for “452047”, and watch the full series ✨! #NovelMaster

The day before our company’s NASDAQ IPO bell-ringing ceremony, I was demoted. I was with Ethan Vance from the very beginning. I wrote the first line of code in our dusty garage, all the way until the company reached a multi-billion dollar valuation. Everyone assumed that the position of co-founder and future wife was rightfully mine, Aria Thorne. But in the end, the woman standing next to Ethan for the press interview was Chloe Sterling—a well-connected airhead who couldn’t even read a single line of code. And I was dismissed with a casual, cold “reassignment notice.” Ethan even humiliated me in front of all the executives, warning me that my ambition was too big and that I didn’t know how to play the submissive woman behind a successful man. “Aria, you’re too aggressive. The company only needs me. A woman should behave like a woman.” “Once you learn how to be soft and stop talking about stupid things like ‘having both a career and love,’ I’ll consider making our relationship public.” It turned out that in his heart, I was never a partner who fought alongside him. I was just a pet waiting to be tamed. Fine. Since that’s how you feel, I’m leaving. Just don’t regret it.

When I got the transfer notice and went to Ethan’s office to confront him, Chloe was peeling a grape and feeding it to his mouth. Seeing me walk in, she gasped dramatically, dropping the grape onto the carpet. “Aria, why didn’t you knock? You scared me to death.” Ethan looked at me, his face full of annoyance. “Knocking before entering is basic workplace etiquette. Do I really need to teach you that?” I ignored his criticism, walked over, and slammed the transfer order onto his desk. “Explain this, Ethan.” “Why did you strip me of my Chief Technology Officer position and replace me with someone who can’t even tell the difference between Java and Javascript?” Ethan glanced at the document, leaning back in his leather chair with complete indifference. “This is the board’s decision.” “Our IPO roadshow is coming up. We need a spokesperson with a good image. Just look at yourself.” He looked me up and down, his eyes filled with undisguised distaste. “You wear no makeup, and the dark circles under your eyes are huge. People would think we’re going bankrupt if they saw you.” “Chloe is an Ivy League MBA. She’s elegant and has a great image. She’s the perfect face for the company.” I let out a cold, bitter laugh. “We are a tech company, Ethan, not a beauty pageant.” “The core algorithm was written by my team after working day and night for three months. Do you have any idea how little sleep I’ve had in the last hundred days?” “And now, you want to hand over my life’s work to a girl who only knows how to peel grapes?” Chloe’s eyes welled up with tears. She grabbed Ethan’s sleeve and shook it gently. “Ethan, babe, I told you I couldn’t do it.” “Aria is a tech genius. She definitely looks down on someone like me who only does management.” “Maybe I should just leave. I don’t want you two fighting because of me. It breaks my heart.” Ethan immediately held Chloe’s hand, patting it comfortingly. “Who said you have to leave? The one who should leave is the person who doesn’t know the rules.” He turned to look at me, all warmth gone from his eyes. “Aria, you’re too aggressive.” “Chloe might not understand coding, but she knows how to make me relax. She knows how to support me.” “Unlike you. Every time we meet, you talk about bugs or server capacity. It’s incredibly boring.” “Starting today, you are transferred to the Administration Department. Go to a spa, get your face done, and focus on preparing for pregnancy. That should be your priority.” “As for the Tech Department, they will report directly to Chloe from now on.” Employees walking by peered through the glass walls, whispering. I, the tech director who once held absolute power in this company, was now being watched like a joke. I took a deep breath and pointed at Chloe. “What if I refuse?” Ethan stood up and walked over to me. “Aria, stop throwing a tantrum.” “Without my capital venture, the code you write is just useless text.” “Just be good and listen to me. The title of Mrs. Vance will always be yours.” “There’s a celebration gala tonight. Go home, change into something decent, and don’t embarrass me.” With that, he pulled a black card from his wallet and shoved it into my blazer pocket. “Go buy a designer bag. Cheer up.” The gesture was exactly like throwing a bone to an upset pet. Looking at the man who had once promised to split the world with me, I felt a deep, chilling sense of disgust.

At eight o’clock that night, the company’s IPO celebration gala was held at the most expensive hotel in the city. I didn’t want to go, but Ethan sent me a warning on Snapchat. “Some major investors specifically asked to see you tonight. If you don’t show up, the headlines tomorrow will say you were fired in disgrace.” “Also, if you dare to skip this, your parents’ VIP suite at the private clinic will be cleared out tonight. I don’t think you want to see them sleeping in a public hospital hallway, do you?” He always knew exactly how to squeeze my neck. I pushed open the heavy doors of the grand ballroom. Ethan stood in the center of the crowd, looking sharp in a custom tuxedo. And next to him stood Chloe, wearing a black designer gown that matched my color, with a diamond necklace sparkling around her neck. It was a piece from the latest season, worth a fortune. In contrast, my faded, old dress looked cheap and ridiculous. Someone spotted me and teased: “Hey Ethan, your girl is here.” Ethan looked back at me, his brows instantly knitting into a tight knot. “Why are you wearing that old rag? Didn’t I give you the card?” I walked over, keeping my head high. “In the early days of our startup, you taught us to save money, Ethan. I thought I should practice what you preached.” Ethan choked on his words, glared at me, and turned back to drink with the investors. “Back in the day, Ethan started from nothing. What a visionary!” “Yes, Ethan’s decision-making is top-tier in the industry.” Ethan boasted about his brilliance, talking endlessly about business models and market layouts. But he didn’t mention a single word about the nights we spent coding until our eyes bled. It was as if the success of this tech company had been achieved solely by his mouth. Chloe, treated as the “greatest contributor,” was surrounded by the crowd. Everyone praised her for being young, beautiful, and capable of leading a department. I sat alone in a corner, looking at the expensive food, having absolutely no appetite. Five years ago, Ethan and I were crammed into a tiny, damp basement. On his birthday, we had only ten dollars left in our pockets. We bought a cup of instant ramen and shared it. Ethan gave me all the meat, swearing he would never let me suffer again. Now, the instant ramen had turned into expensive lobsters, but the person he fed them to was someone else. Chloe held a wine glass and walked over to me, swaying her hips. “Aria, let me toast to you first.” “Thank you for your past contributions. You can safely leave the Tech Department to me now.” She smiled like an angel, but her hand “accidentally” slipped. More than half a glass of red wine splashed onto my chest and skirt. The cold liquid ran down my skin, leaving me in absolute humiliation. “Oh my gosh! I’m so sorry! I’m so sorry!” Chloe screamed in panic, dropping her glass onto the floor, where it shattered. Hearing the noise, Ethan rushed over immediately. He grabbed Chloe’s hand, checking it frantically. “Did the glass cut you? Are you okay?” Chloe shook her head, her eyes red. “I’m fine… I just ruined Aria’s dress…” Ethan let out a sigh of relief. When he turned to look at me, his face was filled with impatience. “Why are you so clumsy, Aria?” “Chloe came to toast you out of respect. Even if you didn’t want to accept it, you didn’t have to scare her.” The ballroom fell silent. Everyone’s eyes were locked onto the three of us. Some looked with pity, some with amusement, and most were just enjoying the drama. Someone mocked quietly, “Looks like the hierarchy between the old and the new is pretty clear.” To show off his authority in front of his business partners, Ethan pointed at the wine puddle and the broken glass on the floor. “Aria, clean this up.” “Don’t ruin everyone’s night.” I looked at him, unable to believe my ears. “What did you say?” Ethan raised his voice. “I said, clean it up. What, do you need me to do it myself?” “You’re in administration now. Keeping things clean is your job, isn’t it?” He wanted me to kneel on the floor and clean up the mess like a maid in front of everyone. Looking at his cold face, I suddenly smiled. I bent down and picked up an unopened bottle of red wine from the table. “Sure. I’ll clean it.” The moment the words left my mouth, I swung my arm and smashed the bottle of wine violently right at Ethan’s feet. “CRASH!” The bottle exploded. The dark red liquid splashed all over Ethan’s expensive trousers and custom leather shoes. The entire room fell into a dead silence. I patted the dust off my hands, turned around, and walked out. Behind me, Ethan’s furious roar echoed through the hall: “Aria! Are you out of your mind?!” “Once you walk out that door, don’t expect another dime from me! I’m freezing your card right now!” I didn’t look back. The night breeze outside felt incredibly refreshing.

I went back to the apartment we shared. I dragged out my dusty suitcase and began to pack. Every single thing in this place made me sick. Early the next morning, the door unlocked. Ethan walked in, holding a bag of breakfast. “You’re awake? I bought your favorite pizza. Eat it while it’s hot.” He set the food on the table, acting as if the humiliation from last night had never happened. “I drank too much last night and said some harsh things. Don’t take it personally.” He pulled a document from his briefcase and pushed it toward me. “This is an equity transfer agreement. Just sign over your voting rights, and you can keep your dividends.” “I’ll let you return to the company as Vice President, and I’ll double your salary.” He looked at me with deep affection, reaching out to grasp my hand. “Aria, I’m doing this to protect you. The business world is brutal, and the constant backstabbing isn’t for you.” “You just need to look pretty. Let me do the hard work of making money. Isn’t that great?” Looking at the document, I almost laughed out loud. If I gave up my voting rights, I would be completely shut out of the company. By then, how the company ran and how my shares were diluted would be entirely up to him. Just then, his phone on the table lit up. It was an iMessage from “Chloe.” [Ethan, babe, did you handle that old hag yet?] [As soon as we get her voting rights, we can kick her out completely. The company will be ours.] So this was his “protection.” It was a complete robbery. He was terrified that my tech shares would threaten his absolute control over the company. Looking at his hypocritical face, the last shred of my affection for him snapped. I pulled my hand back, pretending to hesitate. “This is a big deal. I need to think about it.” Seeing me soften, Ethan immediately smiled. “Sure, I’ll give you three days. I knew you’d be reasonable.” He thought he had tamed me. He patted my shoulder gently. “I have meetings. I’ll come back tonight to have dinner with you.” With that, he took his briefcase and left in a hurry. He didn’t even notice my feverish, red face or my constant coughing. I went to the hospital alone. The IV lounge was packed. I had to carry my own IV pole to the restroom, and the blood backflowed into the tube. Just then, a high-pitched, sweet voice drifted from the next bed. “Ethan, babe, my hand hurts so much. Blow on it.” I turned my head. Chloe was lying on a VIP bed with a tiny band-aid on her finger. Ethan was holding her hand like it was a fragile glass doll, blowing gently on it with a worried face. “There, there, it won’t hurt anymore. I’ll take you to buy a new Chanel bag later.” Chloe only had a tiny scratch on her finger. Meanwhile, I had a 102-degree fever, and he was only scheming to steal my shares. I took out my phone, snapped a photo of them, and sent it to my lawyer. [Keep this as evidence of a broken engagement. Prepare the lawsuit to split our co-founded assets.] [Also, contact a headhunter for me. I need a new job.]

Our company’s core product, the “Aegis” system, was scheduled to launch today at 2:00 PM. It was a system my team and I had spent six months building. It was also our killer weapon for the upcoming IPO roadshow. But I knew that to steal the credit, Chloe had forced the tech team to put her name as the lead creator in the final version deploy. At 1:00 PM, Ethan’s calls started flooding my phone like crazy. The moment I picked up, his furious scream blasted through the speaker. “Aria! Where the hell are you? Get back to the office right now!” “The Aegis system has crashed completely! We’re losing data rapidly, and the customer service line is exploding with complaints!” My voice was dead calm. “I resigned. Chloe is the head of the system now.” “She doesn’t know shit!” Ethan blurted out. Realizing his slip, he quickly forced his voice down. “Aria, stop playing games, I’m begging you.” “This launch is tied to tens of millions in funding. If we mess this up, the company is done.” “Come back and fix it. I’ll give you whatever you want.” Half an hour later, I showed up at the company’s server room. Chloe was crying in front of the monitors, surrounded by a group of helpless engineers. Seeing me, she looked as if she had found a savior, but she couldn’t resist shifting the blame. “Aria, did you leave some backdoor in the code before you left? Why did the system suddenly crash?” I ignored her, sat down at the console, and let my fingers fly across the keyboard. I pulled up the logs. Red error codes filled the screen. “System deadlock,” I said coldly. “Someone changed the underlying concurrency logic without authorization, causing a massive database conflict.” I turned my head and stared at Chloe. “The log shows this modification was made under your user credentials. Was that you?” Chloe’s face turned pale. She stuttered, unable to speak. Ethan rushed in, grabbing my shoulder. “I don’t care who did it! Just fix it! Now!” I shook his hand off. “I can fix it, but I’m not taking the blame.” “Whoever broke it pays the price.” Ethan froze. Then, he lowered his voice, his tone laced with heavy authority. “Aria, this is not the time to be stubborn.” “Chloe is the public face of this project. If this is labeled as her mistake, the investors will lose all confidence in our management.” “Fix the bug, and then release a public statement.” “Say you made a mistake during the transition of duties, which caused the crash.” I looked at him, completely dumbfounded. “You want me to take the fall for Chloe? You want me to ruin my own professional reputation by admitting to a rookie mistake?” “Do you have any idea what that means for a Chief Technology Officer?” Ethan interrupted me impatiently. “It’s just a reputation! You’re sacrificing for the company. I’ll compensate you.” “If you take the blame, the previous equity transfer is off. I’ll give you five million dollars in cash.” “But if you don’t…” He narrowed his eyes, his voice dripping with ice. “I will sue you for leaking trade secrets. I’ll make sure you can never get a job in this industry again.” “You know I have the power and the means to do it.” Looking at this unrecognizable man, the last trace of warmth in my heart died. “Fine. I’ll fix it.” I turned back to the screen, my fingers moving like a blur over the keyboard. Ten minutes later, the warning lights turned green. The data began to restore. Ethan let out a sigh of relief, the arrogant confidence returning to his face. “I knew you’d make the right choice.” “PR has already drafted the statement. You just need to sign it.” He handed me a document. In black and white, it stated that I admitted to causing the crash due to my own negligence. Chloe stopped crying, hiding behind Ethan, throwing me a smug, triumphant smirk. I stood up, but I didn’t take the paper. Instead, I grabbed the connection cable on the desk and plugged it into my laptop. “No need for a statement. Let’s let everyone see what really happened.” The next second, the giant projector screen in the server room lit up. It wasn’t the system interface. It was a complete, unalterable log of the system backend. And along with it, a freshly recovered Snapchat chat history that Chloe had tried to delete. The screen clearly showed how Chloe, wanting to add her own “signature” to the code to take credit, had modified the parameters and crashed the entire system. The bright red username “User: Chloe” burned on the screen like a massive slap to Ethan’s face. The room erupted into chaos. The investors and executives stared at the screen in disbelief. Ethan’s smile froze, turning into a distorted grimace. “Aria! What are you doing? Turn it off!” He rushed forward to pull the power cord. I was ready. I stepped aside, grabbed the mechanical keyboard from the desk, and smashed it violently into the server rack. “BANG!” I grabbed the microphone, my voice echoing through the entire office floor. “I quit.” “Ethan, Chloe, you two pieces of trash can clean up your own mess!” With that, I threw my pre-written resignation letter right into Ethan’s horrified, pale face.

🌟 Continue the story here 👉🏻 📲 Download the “NovelMaster” app 🔍 search for “452046”, and watch the full series ✨! #NovelMaster

“Thank you to my forever mentor for this amazing early birthday gift! I’ll work hard to be worthy of this beast!” My heart sank. I instantly remembered the blurry bank transfer screenshot Austin had shown me last week when I demanded our money back. I quickly opened my online banking app and scrutinized the transaction history for that supposedly “refunded” $25,000. The next second, the mouse slipped from my trembling hand. It wasn’t a refund at all. It was a short-term personal loan from one of Austin’s distant cousins. The memo line clearly read: “Temporary loan. Repay next month.” In that instant, I knew. The last shred of trust between us, along with our shared startup dream, was dead. Disappointment washed over me, drowning out my anger. I didn’t scream. I didn’t cry. I just picked up my phone and sent Austin a text: “Austin, I’m out. Let’s dissolve the studio. The startup is over.” Almost the exact second the message marked as “read,” my phone rang. I picked up, but it wasn’t Austin’s voice. It was Bella’s—sweet, high-pitched, and laced with fake innocence. “Chloe, babe, what is wrong with you? Just because the funding is a few days late, you’re throwing a tantrum and pulling out? Startups are hard. Giving up at the first sign of trouble doesn’t sound like the Chloe I know. Austin has been pulling all-nighters for this project. You’re breaking his heart.” In the background, I could hear the rowdy voices of their college crew. “Yeah, Chloe, show some startup spirit!” “Bella’s right. Austin is working his ass off. Give him a break.” These people had been Austin and Bella’s loyal squad since college. They always stood in a united front. Every time Austin and I argued because Bella “borrowed” our project funds for her personal emergencies, they would jump in. They’d preach about “the bigger picture,” “brotherhood,” and how “Bella has had a hard life” to guilt-trip me. Or rather, to silence me. Bella always played the martyr, acting like she was sacrificing everything for the team. She had implied more than once in public that I was petty and lacked vision. She had even whispered to me in private, “Chloe, if you think the risk is too high, you can always back out. Austin and I can handle it.” This time, I wasn’t even mad. I was just exhausted. I spoke into the receiver, my voice deadpan: “Yeah, you guys are right. So, I’m backing out. Wish you both the best of luck with the project.” The other end of the line went dead silent. I didn’t wait for a response. I hung up. Then, I opened my laptop and began organizing all the files, design drafts, and business proposals related to the project. These represented countless sleepless nights of my hard work. But now, they meant nothing to me. Less than an hour later, Austin slammed the door open. He was supposed to be pitching to clients, but he had rushed back to our shared apartment. He held two tickets in his hand, trying to coax me with that familiar puppy-dog look: “Chloe, look! I pulled some wires and got VIP passes to TechCrunch Disrupt! Let’s go this weekend and clear our heads, okay?” I looked at the tickets and felt a wave of sheer mockery. I had been begging to go to this event for months. But back then, he told me we were too busy with the launch and should wait until things stabilized. Now, he was using it as a peace offering. But here was the kicker: Bella had already posted her staff badge for the exact same event on her Instagram last week. Her caption read: “Austin is the best! Sneak peek before the public crowd!” He always did this. Using the exact same favor to keep both of us happy. I didn’t take the tickets. I just smiled. Austin let out a sigh of relief, thinking I was appeased, and turned around to pour some water. “Let’s break up, Austin. For good.” The glass mug slipped from his hand, shattering loudly against the hardwood floor. “Over $25,000? Just because the funds were delayed by a couple of days? Chloe, does our relationship and our dream mean absolutely nothing to you?” He sounded genuinely hurt, like he was the victim here. If this were the past, I would have argued with him line by line. But now? I didn’t want to waste a single breath. When words lose their meaning, action is the only way out. I bent down to pick up the broken glass. Austin reacted emotionally, grabbing my arm to stop me. I instinctively yanked my arm back, and my elbow hit the console table. A custom ceramic vase we bought when we first moved in wobbled, fell, and smashed into pieces.

Shards scattered everywhere. Austin’s face paled. He immediately checked my elbow, his voice a mix of frustration and lingering anger. “Why are you being so reckless? Did you cut yourself?” I brushed his hand off. “I’m fine,” I said coldly. He stared at the broken ceramic on the floor. We had picked it out together, believing it would bring good luck to our new home. “It’s better this way,” I murmured, turning back to pack my things. Austin stood frozen amidst the mess, his expression dark and unreadable. The next day, we were supposed to meet a potential investor. But I had already emailed the client, rescheduling the meeting due to personal reasons. Then, I emailed our landlord about breaking our lease early. Around noon, Austin came back. Seeing me packing books into cardboard boxes, he tried to soften his tone. “Chloe, I rescheduled the meeting with the client. Look…” “Don’t bother,” I interrupted him. “The project is dead. You can handle the follow-ups yourself.” He choked on his words, his voice dropping low. “Is this because of Bella? Because of the money? I told you I would fix it!” “Austin, it was never just about Bella. And it was never just about the money.” I stopped what I was doing and looked him dead in the eye. “It’s because you constantly let her, and your so-called brotherhood, override our plans and our trust.” His mouth opened, but no words came out. Just then, the doorbell rang. Austin answered it. Bella and two of her friends were standing in the hallway, holding grocery bags. “Austin! Chloe!” Bella beamed, her smile radiant. “We came over to cook a celebratory dinner for the launch! Let’s…” Her voice trailed off as her eyes landed on the packing boxes. Austin cleared his throat awkwardly and let them in. As soon as Bella stepped inside, her eyes locked onto the business proposal on my desk. It was the final version of AuraHome AI—the project I had pulled consecutive all-nighters to perfect. “Oh my gosh, Chloe, this pitch deck is brilliant!” She picked it up naturally, flipping through the pages. “This core architecture is genius. Let me borrow it for a bit to study, okay?” Austin frowned slightly. “Bella, that’s Chloe’s work. Put it down.” Bella pouted, her voice dripping with sweet innocence. “Come on, I just want to learn! Chloe is so smart, she won’t mind, right? It’s all for the team!” One of her friends chimed in. “Yeah, Bella just wants to improve herself for the project.” The other one was even more direct. “Chloe, just let Bella look at it. Who knows, maybe she can even give you some good feedback.” “Proprietary information,” I said without looking up from my packing. “It’s highly inappropriate to look at a core pitch deck without authorization.” The room went dead silent. Bella looked as if I had physically slapped her. She slammed the deck back onto the table. “Chloe, how could you think of me like that? I was just admiring your work! What kind of person do you think I am?” Her friends didn’t see anything wrong with her behavior. Instead, they glared at me. “We’re all on the same team here. What’s the big deal?” The other scoffed. “Chloe, we came here in good faith to help smooth things over. You’re being incredibly petty.” Austin sighed, his voice heavy with fatigue. “Chloe, Bella meant well. She was just…” “She was just trying to steal someone else’s hard work, just like she stole our project funds over and over again,” I cut him off, my voice calm but freezing cold. Bella’s face flushed bright red. “Chloe Miller! What are you implying? Those were loans! It was for project emergencies! Austin approved all of them!” “Oh, really?” I walked over to my laptop and pulled up the financial spreadsheet. “Over the past year, you ‘borrowed’ a total of $65,000. $35,000 of that was taken during critical development phases when we desperately needed cash. Your repayment record is a big fat zero. Is that what you call ‘for the project’?” I spun the screen around. The black-and-white numbers were indisputable. Bella froze. Her two friends shut their mouths, looking incredibly awkward. But Bella quickly found a new angle to attack. “Chloe, why are you bringing up old dirt now? Austin agreed to all of it! You’re just jealous because Austin trusts me more than you!” I didn’t want to waste another second arguing. I reached for my phone. Seeing this, Austin snatched my phone away. “Chloe! Do you have to do this? What’s the point of digging up the past?!” He yelled so loudly that I could hear footsteps in the hallway outside. He grabbed Bella’s arm and turned to her friends. “Let’s go!” I stood my ground, completely unfazed. One of Bella’s friends looked at my icy expression and tried to pull Austin back, sensing things were getting out of hand. But Austin was too angry. “Forget it! Let her calm down by herself!” Once they slammed the door, I took a deep breath. I logged onto Nextdoor and posted a listing: “Selling brand-new studio office equipment. Half price.” My phone immediately started buzzing with inquiries. Within a few hours, almost everything was sold.

After Austin and his crew stormed out, the apartment fell into a quiet, peaceful silence. It was just me, the mess on the floor, and my completely cold heart. I didn’t stop. I kept packing. Clothes, books, everyday essentials… everything that carried our shared memories was systematically packed away. Some went into trash bags; some went into boxes. With the cash I made from selling the office equipment on Nextdoor, I booked a moving service and quickly secured a cozy, single-bed apartment across town. My level of calm was almost terrifying. No tears, no hesitation. It felt like undergoing a surgical procedure to cut out a piece of rotting flesh. It was painful, yes, but the relief of being clean was worth it. On the day I moved, Austin came back. He stood at the doorway, staring at the half-empty apartment. His eyes were a chaotic mix of shock, confusion, and panic. He clearly hadn’t expected me to leave so decisively, and so fast. “Chloe… do we really have to do this?” His voice was hoarse, carrying a rare, desperate note. “We can talk. I’ll talk to Bella. I’ll make sure she pays back the money as soon as…” “Austin,” I interrupted, zipping up my final suitcase. My voice was a flat line. “We were over the moment you repeatedly chose her, sacrificing our shared goals and trust. Talking won’t change the outcome. I wish you and her… a very successful partnership.” I emphasized the word “partnership” with a cold, mocking smile. Without looking at his suddenly pale face, I wheeled my suitcase past him and walked out. I didn’t look back. My new life was busier than I expected, but it was incredibly fulfilling. I blocked Austin, Bella, and their entire social circle. I cut off all dead weight and put 100% of my energy into finding new opportunities. However, I underestimated how shameless some people could be. A week after I moved out, I received a call from an unknown number. It was the CEO of a highly promising tech startup, a man named Marcus Sterling. “Am I speaking with Chloe Miller? Apologies for the cold call. We received a pitch deck for a project called ‘AuraHome AI.’ We’re highly interested. We were wondering if you’ve already secured a lead investor?” I froze. “AuraHome AI.” That was the exact project I had built from scratch for my and Austin’s startup! How did it end up in Marcus Sterling’s hands? Then, the realization hit me like a lightning bolt. “Bella!” That day in the apartment, she hadn’t just looked at it. She must have taken photos of the core slides with her phone! Suppressing my rising anger, I kept my voice strictly professional. “Hi, Mr. Sterling. I’m glad you’re interested in the project. May I ask how you came across the initial proposal?” Marcus chuckled on the other end, his tone turning a bit amused. “A young woman named Bella Vance contacted us. She claimed it was a project she and her team developed, but since her team recently disbanded, she wanted to find a new home for it. The creative concept is brilliant, but when we pressed her for technical details and core logic, she became… let’s say, extremely vague. So, I decided to reach out to the backup email listed on the deck. I didn’t expect to find the actual brain behind it.” I knew it! Bella didn’t just steal my idea; she tried to use it to bag a major investment. But her shallow understanding of tech couldn’t support the weight of the actual project, and Marcus had immediately seen through her. I took a deep breath, my mind working rapidly. Anger wouldn’t solve anything. But an opportunity had just knocked on my door, and I wasn’t about to let it slide. “Mr. Sterling, thank you for your diligence. This proposal is indeed my work, written and developed solely by me. Bella Vance had zero part in the creative or technical process. She likely doesn’t understand the project at all.” My voice was steady, confident, and professional. “If you and your team are genuinely interested, I would love to bring a complete business plan and technical roadmap to present to you.” Marcus, being a seasoned businessman, immediately caught on. “That sounds wonderful, Chloe. Are you free tomorrow afternoon? Let’s discuss this in person.” “Absolutely. Thank you for the opportunity, Mr. Sterling. See you tomorrow.” I hung up, looking out the window at the beautiful city skyline. A cold smile crept onto my face. “Bella, Austin. You thought you could rob me, but you ended up delivering my biggest opportunity right to my lap.”

🌟 Continue the story here 👉🏻 📲 Download the “NovelMaster” app 🔍 search for “452045”, and watch the full series ✨! #NovelMaster

My roommate kept a black pet snake with creepy red spots. Every night after lights-out, that snake would crawl into my bed. It would wrap tightly around my thighs, and its ice-cold, wet tongue would flick across my neck. Terrified, I told our Resident Advisor that there was a snake in our dorm. But when housing security inspected the room, they found absolutely nothing. Everyone in the building started calling me a paranoid freak. My hair fell out in clumps. I was on the verge of a complete mental breakdown. Finally, I ran out of the campus gates in the middle of the night, straight into the path of a speeding semi-truck that crushed my skull. My soul floated in the cold night air, looking down. I saw my roommate, Chloe, holding that black snake, laughing hysterically. “Kai, babe, did that bitch taste good?” The black snake let out a low, raspy laugh that sounded chillingly human. It turned out it was never a snake. Chloe had paid a fortune to a dark witch to seal the soul of her perverted boyfriend, Kai, who had died in a horrific car crash, inside that snake’s body. And because she knew I was pretty, she let her boyfriend crawl into my bed night after night. But then, my eyes flew open. I was reborn. I was back to exactly one month before the fall semester started. Without a second thought, I booked a plane ticket straight to the deep wilderness of the Appalachian Mountains. When I returned, I had a ten-foot-long golden albino python packed safely inside my suitcase.

My soul had floated in the air for three agonizing days. And in those three days, I finally figured everything out. That black snake with red spots was actually Chloe’s dead boyfriend, Kai Carter. Chloe had paid a shady occultist a massive sum of money to trap his soul inside the reptile after his car accident. Kai had been an absolute creep when he was alive, and he became even more disgusting after he died. Chloe couldn’t bear to lose him completely, so she came up with this sick, twisted way to keep him around. But she didn’t expect that once Kai became a snake, his perverted desires would only grow. He targeted the prettiest girls on campus. And I was the unlucky winner. Every single night after move-in, that snake would slither into my bed right on cue. Its cold, scaly skin would slide up my thighs, and its wet, slimy tongue would lick my neck and earlobes. I told the RA about it in a panic, but they searched our room three times and found nothing. Soon, the entire floor thought I was losing my mind. “Sera, are you just stressed out from classes?” “Maybe you should go see a therapist?” “Stop accusing Chloe. She’s literally the sweetest girl on the floor.” My hair started falling out in handfulls. My nerves were so shot that I was too terrified to close my eyes at night. My weight plummeted from a healthy 110 pounds to a skeletal 85. During those dark days, they took videos of me shivering in the corner of my bed and posted them to our dorm’s Snapchat group. The caption read: “The drama queen in room 302 is having another episode.” In the end, I broke. I ran out of the campus gates at midnight and was crushed to death by a giant semi-truck. I died in silence, like a pathetic joke. But now, I was alive again. I stared at my phone screen: August 1st, 7:23 AM. Exactly one month before the semester started. I lay in bed for three minutes, completely still, letting the memories of my past life wash over me. Then, I smiled. My past life taught me one thing: Chloe was a master manipulator. She knew how to play the victim, cry on cue, and say things like, “I don’t know why Sera hates me so much.” Everyone would immediately take her side. This time, I could run. I could request a room change. But I didn’t want to. Because if I ran, some other innocent girl would end up in that bed, suffering the exact same fate. After thinking it over, I booked a flight to the mountains that very afternoon. Before I died in my past life, I had read a thread on a conspiracy forum about an old witch doctor living deep in the Appalachian Mountains who could talk to snakes and control massive pythons. Back then, I thought it was internet garbage. But in this life, I believed it. On the plane, I drifted off to sleep. My nightmare was filled with that black-and-red snake crawling up my legs. I kicked at my blankets frantically but couldn’t shake it off. I opened my mouth to scream for help, but no sound came out. I woke up gasping, tears streaming down my face. The older man sitting next to me handed me a packet of tissues and asked if I was okay. I nodded in terror, my resolve to find the witch doctor hardening. The moment I landed, I didn’t waste a second and headed straight into the mountain hollows. By noon the next day, I was standing in the exact spot described in the forum post. Just as I stepped onto the overgrown path, an old, sun-weathered woman blocked my way. “No tourists allowed here. Go back.” I looked her dead in the eye. “I’m not a tourist. I’m looking for the one who speaks to snakes.”

The old woman’s expression shifted. She turned and walked deeper into the woods, gesturing for me to follow. She led me to a secluded wooden cabin. The porch was covered in dried mountain herbs and hanging snake skins. The air thick with a pungent, musky odor. Pushing past the heavy screen door, I saw an elderly man sitting in a rocking chair. He looked to be in his late sixties, his skin leathery and his eyes deep-set, but those eyes gleamed like a feral cat’s. “Who sent you?” “No one. I saw a thread online. It said you can command snakes.” The old man scoffed, taking a sip from his mug of black coffee. “And how do you know I’m not just a scammer?” I stared back at him. “Because on my way up here, I noticed all the chickens in the yard were locked up tight, and not a single dog in this hollow is barking. The dogs are silent because they’re terrified of whatever you keep in here.” His hand paused mid-air. He leaned back against his chair. “You’ve got a dark shadow over you, girl. Someone put a curse on you?” I didn’t want to explain the whole reincarnation thing. I only had one question: “Is there a way to force a human soul out of a snake’s body once it’s been sealed inside?” The old man froze, his coffee mug hovering. He stared at me for ten long seconds before slamming the mug onto the wooden table. “Binding a human soul to a reptile is forbidden black magic. Where did you encounter such a thing?” “I lived through it.” “Lived through it?” His voice pitched higher. “You encountered a soul-bound snake? Was the soul from a living person or the dead?” “A dead man.” The old man went silent for a long time. He stood up, paced around the room, and pulled a polished black bone flute from the wall, handing it to me. “The one you met—was it a small snake or a big one?” “Small. Black with red bands. About fifteen inches.” The old man snorted. “That’s the lowest tier of soul-binding. Trapping a weak, dead soul inside a common garden snake. High on malice, low on actual power.” A sharp light flickered in his cloudy eyes. “Since you made it all the way out here, it means you want to fight back. The law of the wild is simple—fight poison with poison. Fight small with big.” He reached under his table and dragged out a heavy wooden crate. The moment he slid the lid open, a wave of cold, musky air hit my face. Inside, coiled on a bed of dry straw, was a baby python, its scales a brilliant, glowing gold. It was only about as thick as my index finger. It lifted its head and looked at me, its golden, vertical pupils sending a chill down my spine. Slowly, trembling, I reached my hand into the crate. The baby python flicked its tongue, then gently crawled onto my wrist. Its cold scales slid against my skin—a sensation identical to the night Kai crawled onto my legs in my past life. But this time, I didn’t flinch. I let it wrap around my wrist like a heavy, golden bracelet. The old man chuckled. “The little guy likes you. He’s small now, but in three months he’ll be six feet. In six months, he’ll top ten feet. That little black snake won’t even dare lift its head in front of him.” “What does he eat?” The old man grinned, revealing a row of crooked teeth. “He eats snakes. Specifically, other snakes.” When I left the Appalachian hollows, my suitcase contained a specialized, heated reptile case. Inside was the baby python. I named him Sunny. The old man had also given me the black bone flute. “Don’t play this in front of regular folks. Snake charming isn’t exactly holy work. But sometimes, you have to use darker magic to clean up a dark mess.” I asked him one last question. “Can the soul inside that little snake be expelled?” The old man thought for a moment. “Once a dead soul is bound to a beast for too long, they merge. If you want to drive it out, you have to make it feel a terror worse than death itself. Snakes don’t just fear predators—they fear absolute domination.” “What does that mean?” “It means you have to make that little snake understand that he isn’t the apex predator anymore. You are.” On my flight back, I leaned against the window and closed my eyes. The memories of my past life flashed behind my eyelids—Chloe holding the black snake, her high-pitched, mocking laughter echoing in my ears. “Kai, babe, did that bitch taste good?” And Kai’s raspy, disgusting laugh from inside the snake. And then, the faces of my old dormmates. “Sera, can you just act normal for once?” “A snake? Okay, show us some proof then.” This time, I didn’t need proof. Because I was bringing the solution.

Once I got home, I spent every day training Sunny. Our bond grew incredibly strong, and he could understand my basic commands. Three days before the semester started, I called the housing office. I asked if bed selection was first-come, first-served. The lady on the phone said yes. I told her I’d be checking in a day early. In my past life, I was the first to arrive. I foolishly chose the bottom bunk by the window. Chloe arrived second and took the top bunk. Back then, I didn’t realize she chose the top bunk so her heavy curtains could hide her hiding the snake, while my bottom bunk was the perfect launching pad for that thing to slide down into my sheets at night. This time, I was still the first to arrive. But I wasn’t taking the window bunk. I chose the bottom bunk right next to the door. The moment anyone opened the door, my bed was fully visible. This would severely limit Chloe’s ability to hide her snake. If her snake wanted to get from her bunk to mine, it would have to cross the wide-open, highly exposed center of the room. That was only step one. On September 6th, I walked into my empty dorm room. I placed Sunny’s heated enclosure on my nightstand and opened the lid. Sunny lifted his head, his golden eyes shimmering under the fluorescent lights. I held out my hand, and he smoothly slithered up, coiling around my wrist. Then, I went out to the local target and bought heavy black blackout curtains, fabric scissors, heavy-duty double-sided tape, and a sewing kit. I was going to fortify my bed. The only reason Chloe’s snake had evaded the housing inspections in my past life was because she had custom-made, hidden zippered pockets sewn into her bedding and bags. Well, this time, I was going to be prepared way before she even set foot in this room. As I was securing my blackout curtains, my phone buzzed. It was a friend request on Snapchat. The profile picture was a mirror selfie of a girl with long, perfectly styled blonde hair and a sweet, dimpled smile. The bio read: “Hey! I’m Chloe, your new roommate! Thought I’d add you so we can connect!” I stared at her smiling face for a long time. In my past life, I had accepted her request instantly, typing out a bunch of excited, naive messages. Back then, Chloe had sent me voice notes, her voice sounding so sweet it could give you cavities. This time, I tapped accept. “Hey girl!” she replied instantly. “Which bed did you grab? Can I have the top bunk opposite you? I heard that spot has a great view of the courtyard!” What a flawless opening act. First, pretend she has no idea how the room is laid out, then pretend she just wants a “nice view,” and finally, naturally secure the exact position she needed. I messied back: “Totally! I actually just got here and took the bottom bunk by the door. If you want the view, both window bunks are still totally open!” The “typing…” bubble popped up and disappeared several times. After a full thirty seconds, she finally replied: “Oh, the bottom bunk by the door? Won’t that be super noisy with people walking by?” “Nah, I sleep like a rock. A thunderstorm couldn’t wake me up.” I smiled as I sent the text. In my past life, I really did sleep like a rock—so deep that the first time the snake crawled into my bed, I didn’t even wake up right away. But this life was different. Now, I could hear a pin drop. After exchanging some basic small talk about our majors, she finally dropped the bait: “By the way, are you afraid of snakes? I think they’re actually so cute. I was thinking of getting a pet snake, but I wasn’t sure if our dorm allows them.” She had tested me exactly like this in my past life. Back then, I had replied, “Omg no, snakes are so scary, please don’t!” And she had laughed it off, saying, “Haha just kidding!” only to smuggle the snake in on the very first day. This time, I typed: “Snakes? Omg, not at all! I actually think they’re adorable. You should totally get one! I’d love to play with it!” The other side went completely silent for a few seconds. “Wait, for real?” “Yeah! I watch so many snake-handling videos on TikTok. Those bright yellow pythons are literally so beautiful.” Another long pause. I could easily picture her face on the other side of the screen—her brow furrowing, her fake smile faltering as she stared at her phone. She was probably wondering why this Sera girl wasn’t fitting into her neat little box. Finally, she sent: “Well, then I guess I’ll have a little surprise for you when I get there! ~” followed by a winking emoji. I tossed my phone onto the desk. Sunny was resting quietly on my wrist. I stroked his head, and he nudged his nose against my finger affectionately. In two days, Chloe would arrive with that little snake carrying her dead boyfriend’s soul. And she was going to learn a very hard lesson: Not only was I not afraid of snakes, but I owned one that ate hers for breakfast.

Move-in day finally arrived. At 10:00 AM, the sound of heavy suitcase wheels echoed down the hallway. A key turned in the lock, and the door swung open. Chloe stood in the doorway. She was wearing a white crop top, denim shorts, her hair pulled up into a high ponytail, sporting her signature sweet smile. She was dragging a massive silver suitcase and carrying a heavy black backpack. Her eyes quickly swept the room, pausing on me for a fraction of a second. “Hey! You must be Sera!” her voice was soft and bubbly. “Hey Chloe! Nice to meet you!” I stood up and helped her pull her heavy suitcase inside. She pushed her suitcase directly under the top bunk opposite me—right facing my bed. Then, she began unpacking, pulling out her things one by one. Toiletries, clothes, her iPad, snacks—and a small, black, hard-shell pet carrier with tiny ventilation holes. It was tiny, barely eight inches long. Easily small enough to slip into a backpack or a custom-made hidden pocket. As she pulled the carrier out of her bag, she subtly turned her body, using a bag of chips to block my view. Her movements were so smooth she had clearly practiced this a thousand times. But she didn’t know that from the moment she walked through that door, every nerve in my body was locked onto her. I pretended not to notice. I leaned down, picked up a pack of tissues she had dropped, and handed it to her with a smile. “Here you go, Chloe. Wow, this packaging is so cute.” “Oh, thanks! Ordered them on Amazon,” she said, taking them and quickly sliding the pet carrier into her nightstand drawer. It was incredibly fast. If I hadn’t been watching her like a hawk, I would have missed it. But she had no idea that in my past life, to figure out where that damn snake was coming from, I had torn this room apart when she was in class. I knew every single one of her hiding spots—under the folded sweaters in the bottom drawer, inside the lining of her hanging duffel bag, and the hidden pocket taped directly underneath her mattress. All of them were fitted with opaque, custom-made zippers. Does a normal college freshman arrive with that kind of stealth gear? No. She was on a mission. After she finished unpacking, Chloe turned to me with a sweet grin. “So, Sera, remember that surprise I mentioned?” She reached into her drawer and pulled out the black pet carrier, placing it on the desk. There was a dark, eager glint in her eyes, like she was holding her breath to see me scream. In my past life, the moment she popped that lid and that black-and-red snake poked its head out, I had screamed, stumbled back, and knocked over my water bottle. That was the beginning of my living nightmare. This time, she popped the lid. The black-and-red snake slowly slid its head out. It was slightly smaller than I remembered, but the dark scales and blood-red bands were exactly the same. It flicked its black tongue, its vertical pupils narrowing into slits. My stomach violently churned. The memories of my past life rushed back like a tidal wave. The feel of cold scales sliding up my thighs, the wet tongue on my neck, and that raspy, dead man’s voice whispering in my ear: “What a pretty face… let me wrap around you.” My temples throbbed as anger flared in my chest. Under the desk, my hands clenched into tight fists, my nails digging deep into my palms. In my head, I slowly counted to three. One. Two. Three. Then, I smiled. I let my eyes crinkle up, showing a completely innocent, bubbly expression. “Oh my gosh! He is so cute!” I leaned in closer to the desk. “What kind of snake is he? His pattern is beautiful, like a vintage floral print!” The eager smirk on Chloe’s face froze. According to her script, I was supposed to scream, pale, and run to the other side of the room. Then she could play the “Oh my god, I’m so sorry, I thought you said you liked snakes!” card, instantly labeling me as the weak, easily bullied roommate. But I didn’t follow her script. “You’re… you’re not scared?” her voice shook slightly with confusion. “Are you kidding? I told you, I love snakes!” I reached out a finger toward the little reptile. The snake immediately recoiled, its body tensing into an S-curve, its eyes locked onto my hand. I could feel it. The greasy, perverted, greedy aura of Kai Carter radiating from that tiny reptilian body. Chloe quickly slammed the lid shut and shoved the carrier back into her drawer. “He’s super shy. Don’t touch him, he might bite.” “Aw, bummer,” I said, pulling my hand back with a harmless laugh. “I’ll just wait until he gets used to me.” Chloe forced a tight, awkward smile. That first round ended in Chloe’s utter confusion. But I knew this was just the warm-up. She wasn’t going to stop just because I wasn’t afraid. Because the pervert trapped inside that snake wouldn’t let her.

Sure enough, the trap was set for that night. At 11:30 PM, the dorm lights went out. The hallway silences stretched, and the entire building was plunged into darkness. I lay in my bed, my heavy blackout curtains zipped tight, my duvet pulled up to my chin. My eyes were wide open in the dark. About an hour passed. Around 12:30 AM, I heard it. A faint, rustling sound coming from Chloe’s bunk. It was incredibly soft, like fabric dragging across fabric. “Rustle. Rustle. Rustle.” The sound moved from her bed to the wooden frame, sliding down the wall onto the tiled floor. Then came the almost silent scrape of scales sliding across the cold floor. It was moving toward me. In my past life, I would have been fast asleep by now. But tonight, I was as awake as if someone had dumped a bucket of ice water over my head. Every inch of my skin tensed, my hair standing on end. The horrors of my past life played on a loop in my brain. But I didn’t move. I waited. The sliding sound got closer and closer, until I could feel a sudden drop in the air temperature near the floor. A chilling draft crept in. And then, I heard a sound. It wasn’t a snake’s hiss. It was a wet, muffled, human-like grunt, squeezing out of the snake’s tiny throat. It was laughing. At the bottom of my blackout curtains, there was a tiny two-centimeter gap. The black-and-red head of the snake slowly poked through, its red-flecked eyes glinting in the dark, its black tongue tasting the air. In my past life, this was the exact moment I broke. But tonight, I pulled my blanket tight, rolled over to face the wall, and whispered in a voice so quiet only I could hear: “Sunny, you’re up.” Beneath my bed, the lid of Sunny’s backup enclosure slid open without a sound. Something massive was slowly crawling out from the darkness. It didn’t make a sound, but it carried an overwhelming, suffocating pressure that seemed to freeze the very air in the room. It was a primitive, instinctual dread—the kind carved deep into the DNA of every prey animal. The little black-and-red snake instantly froze. It wanted to run. But it was already too late.

🌟 Continue the story here 👉🏻 📲 Download the “NovelMaster” app 🔍 search for “452044”, and watch the full series ✨! #NovelMaster

There were only two seats left at the company dinner. One was in the dark corner, and the other was right next to Ethan Vance, my secret boyfriend of three years. Just as I took a step forward, Ethan spoke up, his voice cutting through the chatter as he called out my best friend’s name. “Sienna, why don’t you sit here?” Instantly, the surrounding coworkers let out low, teasing cheers. Our office Snapchat group went absolutely wild. “They look so good together! What a perfect couple.” “Mr. Vance has never invited anyone to sit next to him before.” “I swear he treats Sienna differently. I don’t care, this is real.” Throughout the entire dinner, Ethan didn’t spare me a single glance, all in the name of “keeping things professional.” Even when a clumsy waiter spilled hot soup and scalded my hand, Ethan was too busy blocking drinks for Sienna to notice. At that exact moment, a thought suddenly popped into my head. This hidden relationship. I didn’t want to continue it anymore. While I was in the restroom treating my burn with cold water, I saw a text Sienna had sent me half an hour ago. “Chloe, don’t take what they’re saying in the group chat to heart. They’re just teasing. Don’t worry about it.” I wiped my hands dry and replied, “I know.” A minute ago, Ethan had also sent a message. “I only did that to keep our distance at work. Don’t overthink it.” I stared at the message, a sudden tightness squeezing my chest. In my three years at this company, I couldn’t even count how many times this had happened. Team-building events, dinners, meetings… The person next to Ethan was always a department manager, or Sienna, or some other employee. It was never me. Even on the rare occasions I had a chance to stand next to him, he would deliberately swap places with someone else. To “avoid gossip,” he ignored my eyes, ignored my words. Because my coworkers saw his coldness toward me, they treated me like an outcast. I locked my phone and didn’t reply. When I went back, they were still laughing and talking as if nothing had happened. Only the throbbing blister on my hand reminded me of my decision to walk away. As the dinner ended, a coworker playfully pushed Sienna toward Ethan. “Mr. Vance, there’s a severe storm warning tonight, and Uber wait times are crazy. It’s not safe for Sienna to go home alone. Would you mind driving her?” Ethan didn’t refuse. “Sure. I’m heading toward Bayview. Anyone else on the way?” He spoke casually, but his eyes were locked straight on me. My throat tightened. Three years ago, I was stalked by a stranger on my way home from work, and I had been terrified of walking alone at night ever some. Ethan knew this. Since then, he had driven me home every single day. I opened my mouth. “I also…” “I’ll take care of the other guys,” another coworker cut me off, stepping right in front of me. “Mr. Vance, you should just take Sienna home first.” Ethan stared at me for a few more seconds before finally looking away. He nodded and turned. “Thanks.” Then he drove off. When I finally told the remaining coworker my address, he looked at me with an annoyed grimace. “Chloe, why didn’t you say earlier that you lived in Bayview?” “It’s already 1 AM. If I drive you back and then go home, it’s going to take me forever. Why don’t you just call an Uber?” “The wait times are long, but I’m sure you’ll get one eventually.” I silently opened my rideshare app. Estimated wait time: 53 minutes. Meanwhile, notifications kept popping up in the office Snapchat group as people safely reached home. Then, someone started a new thread. “Did anyone else notice how a certain someone kept trying to squeeze next to Mr. Vance tonight? Does she seriously not realize how much he dislikes her?” “Right! If Mr. Vance hadn’t called Sienna over, she would have sat there!” “And when Mr. Vance asked if anyone was on the way, it was so obvious he just wanted to be alone with Sienna. He was just being polite. Only a certain someone took it seriously.” Sienna replied vaguely, “Guys, don’t talk about her like that. Mr. Vance was just looking out for me because I’m new.” But that only made the coworkers mock me even harder. “Please! When that certain someone first started and dropped all her files after being chewed out by the manager, Mr. Vance walked right past her without even looking.” “Besides, Mr. Vance didn’t deny anything. Actions speak louder than words!” Staring at the screen, I felt nothing but numbness. Sienna had joined this company because she heard I was being targeted and wanted to “keep me company.” Now, she was the office darling. And her comfort to me was always just a few lazy, half-hearted texts telling me not to overthink it because “they didn’t mean any harm.” When rumors spread about Sienna and Ethan, Ethan merely told me to stop wasting my energy on “insignificant matters.” Insignificant. I guess only those who don’t care about you would think your feelings are insignificant. The night wind felt freezing against my face. I left the chat group, logged into the company portal, and submitted my resignation. Since I had decided to end this relationship, there was no need to keep swallowing this humiliation.

It was 2 AM by the time an Uber finally picked me up. When I walked through the door of our shared apartment, Ethan stood up from the couch. “Why didn’t you tell me you were heading to Bayview earlier? I could have easily brought you back with us.” Hearing his casual tone, I wanted to ask him: Didn’t you see how our coworker cut me off just to set you up with Sienna? Couldn’t you have just insisted on taking me? But the words died on my tongue. “I forgot.” I walked closer. That was when I noticed he was wearing matching pajamas. Before tonight, under the guise of professionalism, Ethan had never agreed to wear anything matching with me, even at home. I softened slightly. “I thought you said you hated matching clothes.” Ethan opened his mouth to speak. But before he could, Sienna walked out of our guest bathroom, wearing the matching set. “I made him wear it,” she said with a bright giggle. “This brand was having a buy-one-get-one-free sale for couples. But I didn’t know what size to get for the guy’s version, so I wanted Ethan to try it on for me.” My face froze. The tiny spark of joy in my heart vanished instantly. I had thought Ethan wore them because he saw my resignation draft and wanted to make things up to me by finally going public. But it was all because of Sienna. Sienna looked Ethan up and down. “Actually, I think the men’s size is a bit too big for what I wanted.” “Never mind, I won’t buy it. I don’t have a boyfriend anyway, so it’d just go to waste at home.” Hearing the disappointment in her voice, Ethan spoke naturally. “Then just take this set with you.” Sienna’s eyes lit up. “Seriously?” Ethan’s expression was calm, but a soft smile played on his lips. “Yeah. Chloe has never worn her set anyway. It’s just taking up space in her closet.” I kept my head down, my fists clenching and unclenching. He was right. It was just taking up space. What was the point of couple’s pajamas if only one person wore them? So I had left them in the back of the closet to gather dust. I used to think I could wait until the day Ethan was ready to go public, the day he would wear them with me. Instead, I waited just to see them gifted to someone else. “Take them,” I said quietly. “I won’t be needing them anyway.” Sienna spun around happily. “Chloe, you’re the best!” “Oh, by the way, I’m really scared of storms. Can I stay with you guys for a few days?” “Just until the weather clears up.” I changed my shoes and headed to the bedroom. “Do whatever you want.” I was leaving soon anyway. It didn’t matter how long she stayed. Once we were in bed, Ethan suddenly spoke into the darkness. “You’re very quiet today.” “Usually, when I give away those couple’s items, you get upset.” My body went rigid under the blanket. When we first got together, I had excitedly bought so many matching things. Matching mugs, matching slippers, matching umbrellas, matching pens. I wanted everything around us to show we were a couple. But the very next day, Ethan had given his matching items away as raffle prizes at an office party. Some coworkers noticed I had the exact same items and mocked me behind my back for “hopelessly crushing on the boss.” I became the biggest joke in the company. What hurt me wasn’t that he didn’t like matching things; it was that he chose the most humiliating way to reject them. And after that, to “avoid suspicion,” he wouldn’t even ride in the same elevator as me. When I gave him the silent treatment back then, Ethan took me to his private wine cellar, pointed to a wall of priceless red wine, and told me, “These bottles are priceless vintages from the year you were born. I bought them all. We are only opening them on our wedding day.” I had always believed Ethan’s love was silent, that he was just bad at expressing it. But seeing him try on pajamas with Sienna tonight, I finally understood. True love doesn’t need to be hidden or explained. And when you have to force yourself to believe someone loves you, it’s already a lie. “Didn’t you say those couple’s items were useless?” my voice was flat. “Since they’re useless, it doesn’t matter who gets them.” Ethan remained silent and didn’t say another word.

The next morning, the office pantry was packed with people gossiping around Sienna. “Sienna! That selfie you posted on Instagram was definitely not at your apartment! Don’t tell me…” “You slept at Mr. Vance’s place!” “And those pajamas look like a couple’s set! Oh my god, you guys are moving fast!” “I knew Mr. Vance liked you! He personally brought you in during hiring. It was basically him marking his territory!” “And last week when your blood sugar dropped and you almost fainted, the company suddenly added free afternoon snacks the very next day!” My hand froze on the pantry door handle. That afternoon, I had skipped lunch to help Sienna fix her data entry errors. I was the one who actually fainted in the breakroom. Ethan had seen me. But he had stepped right over me to catch Sienna, who had only stumbled behind me. The panic in his eyes back then was real. When I got angry about it later, his explanation was: “You have me, but Sienna is single. If she gets hurt on my watch, it’s my responsibility.” “I only look out for her because she’s your best friend.” “Are you seriously getting jealous of your own friend?” I didn’t want to hear any more of their giggling. I turned and walked away. Just then, Mark from HR rushed in, looking ecstatic. “Guys! I have two massive pieces of news!” “First, Mr. Vance is getting married! I literally just heard him ordering a custom engagement ring!” The coworkers squealed even louder around Sienna. “Oh my god, Sienna! Congrats!” Mark cleared his throat. “And the second news is…” “Mr. Vance just approved a promotion list, and it’s for our department!” Everyone cheered. “Who else could it be but Sienna!” “Let me be the first to call you Mrs. Vance!” Sienna blushed and played coy. “It might not be me. Chloe has been here much longer.” I didn’t stay to hear the rest of their guessing game. Leila, the HR director, had received my resignation and called me into her office. “Chloe, your performance reviews, project data, and strategy plans are flawless. Why are you suddenly resigning?” I kept my eyes down. “Leila, the promotion Mr. Vance just approved… was it mine?” Leila went silent. “I’ve been here for three years,” I said quietly. “People who started at the same time as me are already department heads. I’m the only one who hasn’t moved an inch.” Every year, HR put my name forward for a promotion. And every year, Ethan would find some minor, insignificant mistake to reject it. Leila frowned. “Chloe, did you somehow offend Mr. Vance?” “Maybe you should go apologize to him?” I let out a bitter laugh. I hadn’t offended him. I was just his dirty little secret. Leila didn’t push further. “Since you’re a standard employee, your resignation doesn’t require executive approval.” “If you’ve made up your mind, I’ll process it.” Right after that, Ethan called an all-hands department meeting. His face was grim. “The financial reports submitted two days ago had major data errors. The client pointed them out on the spot.” He looked up, cold eyes scanning the room. “Chloe Henderson, your team handled this, right?” “If you can’t handle being the assistant lead, step down. You’re losing a month’s salary, and Sienna will be taking over your position as team lead.” Several coworkers immediately beamed, shooting smug, congratulatory looks at Sienna. But I just stared at the data sheet on the screen. That report was the one Sienna and I had worked on together. Ethan knew very well that I wasn’t the one responsible for the data entry. I clenched my fists so hard my nails dug into my palms. My heart went completely cold. She made the mistake, I took the fall, and he used it as an excuse to strip me of my title and hand it to her. A self-deprecating smile crept onto my face. How pathetic. Ethan noticed my expression and knit his brows slightly. After the meeting, he called me into his office. “The data was indeed Sienna’s mistake, but as her supervisor, you are responsible for the oversight.” “Do you have an issue with the demotion and pay cut?” My face remained blank. I replied in a cold, professional tone, “No.” “I’m sure Mr. Vance has his reasons.” Ethan’s frown deepened, but he didn’t say anything else. He just waved his hand for me to leave. As I walked out of his office, Sienna approached me holding a cup of coffee, looking incredibly apologetic. “Chloe, do you want some coffee?” I pushed her hand back. “No, thanks.”

Her face instantly crumpled into a victimized pout. “Chloe, are you mad at me because of the demotion?” “But promotions and demotions are entirely the boss’s decision. I couldn’t change his mind even if I tried.” My expression didn’t change. “I’m not mad.” “Mr. Vance’s decisions have nothing to do with me.” Hearing my cold tone, Sienna’s eyes welled with tears. “How can you say you’re not mad?” “You won’t even take my coffee! You’re clearly furious at me!” Seeing Sienna “crying,” the surrounding coworkers immediately stepped in to defend her. “Chloe, are you seriously jealous of Sienna’s promotion?” “Sienna bought coffee for the entire team. She kept this specific one just for you, and you’re treating her like trash.” “Sienna, just ignore her. She didn’t deserve the position anyway. There’s a reason Mr. Vance blocked her promotions for three years!” “Exactly! And remember three years ago when she acted like a delusional clinger around Mr. Vance? He probably hated her back then, and she just dragged things out for three years.” Their cruel, mocking words washed over me like a tide. I took a deep breath, trying to keep my voice steady. “I didn’t take the coffee because I’m allergic to it.” “And from beginning to end, did I say a single word about being unhappy with her promotion?” Sienna’s hand froze, her eyes overflowing with tears. “I’m so sorry, Chloe… I didn’t know you were allergic.” A coworker snapped, “Chloe, what is wrong with your attitude? Can’t you just explain your allergy nicely?” “Besides, who knows if you’re actually allergic? You’re just jealous that Mr. Vance favors Sienna, and that he’s about to propose to her!” Hearing their ridiculous delusions, the anger I had suppressed for three years finally erupted. I held up my hand, showing the simple silver band on my ring finger. “Ethan Vance is my boyfriend. Why on earth would I be jealous of her?” The entire office fell dead silent. Then, someone burst out laughing. “Oh my god, this is hilarious! She really thinks she’s Mr. Vance’s girlfriend!” “This is actual harassment at this point, right? She even bought herself a fake ring!” Furious, I turned around to find Ethan, wanting him to put an end to this. But I saw him walking out of his office. I looked straight into his cold eyes. “Ethan, tell them!” “What exactly is our relationship?” As he remained silent, knitting his brows, the coworkers began to whisper. “Mr. Vance isn’t denying it… is Chloe actually his girlfriend?” “Then what was going on with him and Sienna?” Hearing the whispers, Ethan’s expression hardened. He said coldly, “Our relationship?” “We are boss and employee.” “Chloe Henderson, for spreading rumors about your superior and insubordination, you are suspended for seven days without pay.” Looking at the absolute ice in his eyes, my heart shattered into pieces. I let out a soft laugh, slowly slid the ring off my finger, and dropped it onto the floor. “We’re done, Ethan.” His hand twitched, but he forced himself to stay put. Hearing my words, the coworkers scoffed even louder. “The boss literally just shut her down, and she’s still acting out a breakup drama?” Several people mocked me. “A real relationship is what he has with Sienna. The moment Sienna gets upset, Mr. Vance steps in to defend her.” “Chloe, next time you fantasize, pick a normal guy.” The group burst into laughter. I ignored them completely, silently packing my things into a box. Ethan, a seven-day suspension is too short. We are never seeing each other again. Ethan stood by the window, watching me walk out of the office building. He drafted an explanatory text, deleted it, drafted it again, and deleted it once more. By the time the workday ended, he still hadn’t sent anything. When he got back to our apartment and realized I wasn’t there, he tried to text me, only to see a red exclamation mark. I had blocked him. When Sienna found out, she put on a worried face. “Is Chloe still mad about today? But you already announced your proposal plans. Why does she have to be so dramatic?” Ethan frowned, remembering the empty look in my eyes when I walked out of his office. A sudden wave of panic washed over him, but he forced himself to stay calm. “She’s just throwing a tantrum because of the demotion. I’ll just give her the promotion back when she returns.” But seven days later, I still hadn’t shown up for work. Left with no choice, Ethan asked HR to contact me. “Promote Chloe? But she already resigned,” Leila said.

🌟 Continue the story here 👉🏻 📲 Download the “NovelMaster” app 🔍 search for “452043”, and watch the full series ✨! #NovelMaster

The new female coworker was gorgeous. But my childhood friend, Victor, told me she was nothing but a “bitch.” That was until I had to pull three all-nighters in a row just to clean up her work disasters. Instead of apologizing, he stormed into my place, smelling of alcohol and radiating anger. “Why is your work ethic so trash? You couldn’t even cover one little mistake by yourself?” “If you hadn’t desperately called me back to the office, I would’ve been in her bed by now.” I stared at him, wondering if I was hallucinating from sleep deprivation. Later, he stood by the office entrance early in the morning, blocking my path. “Kate, why did you request to change partners?” The new girl captured everyone’s attention the second she walked in. Her low-cut, white lace dress perfectly hugged her curves. The moment the clock struck five, guys from our department—and even other floors—crowded around her desk, trying to strike up a conversation. Only Victor, my childhood friend, didn’t join the crowd. He shut his laptop and walked over to me. He gave me his usual bright, sunny smile. “Kate, what are you spacing out for? Let’s head home.” In the car, I couldn’t help but ask, “Don’t you think the new girl is pretty? Her body is insane.” Victor scoffed dismissively. “Looks are just skin deep. Who cares how pretty she is? She’s just a bitch who uses her body to hook men.” I frowned. His harsh words made me uncomfortable. But he didn’t notice. “Don’t you dare learn from her. She doesn’t want to work hard; she just wants to rely on men while she’s still young.” I chose to stay silent. The next day, the office was still buzzing around her. To my surprise, the new girl hadn’t stayed at her assigned cubicle. She had packed up her things and moved. Right next to Victor. She flashed a radiant smile and extended her hand to him. “Please look after me from now on, neighbor.” I turned to look at Victor. Without a second thought, he grabbed her hand. The new girl turned her head, her eyes shifting from my face to their clasped hands. She arched an eyebrow. Her smile widened, and she squeezed his hand even tighter.

After work, I was organizing the files for tomorrow’s meeting. Then, like always, I stood by the lobby entrance, waiting for Victor. We always commuted together. But minutes ticked by. Victor, who was usually the first to bolt after work, was now thirty minutes late. I sent him a text on Snapchat, but got no reply. I had no choice but to go back upstairs to find him. He was still at his desk. The new girl, Alice, was holding his hand, whining and swaying gently against him. I tapped on the partition. They both looked up at me. “Kate, is it time to go?” Victor blurted out, looking slightly flushed. “Oh, actually… I won’t be heading out with you today. I’m helping Alice sort out some of her work.” My hand froze on his desk. My eyes met Alice’s. Half of her body was practically draped over his shoulder. She gave me a fragile, pitiful smile, as if she were the victim here. “I heard you two have known each other since you were kids and make a great team. I’m new and have so much to learn. Can I borrow him for tonight?” “Don’t be so stingy. I’ll return him to you tomorrow.” Victor pinched her cheek playfully, though his tone held a mock complaint. “Why are you asking her permission?” Alice giggled, placing her hands on his face, pinching him back. “What? Are you trying to reject me?” It hadn’t even been two days, and they were already flirting in broad daylight. Without a word, I grabbed my bag and turned on my heel. As I reached the door, I heard Alice’s teasing voice behind me. “Oh, stop pinching me. Your little wife looks mad.” “What wife? We’ve just known each other a long time.” “Oh, really? So there’s nothing going on between you two?” “Of course not.” A sharp ache bloomed in my chest. My eyes burned. I slammed the door shut behind me.

Our families lived next door to each other, so I usually had dinner at Victor’s house before heading home. As I walked past his porch, his mother, Mrs. Miller, was waiting at the door, wearing her apron and smiling warmly. Seeing me alone, she looked surprised. “Why are you so late today, sweetie? Did they make you work overtime?” “That company is ridiculous. Whatever it is, it can wait till tomorrow.” “Wait, where is Victor? Did he get held up?” I pulled my coat tighter around myself, forcing a smile. “A new colleague started today. Victor was asked to stay behind and show her the ropes.” “I won’t be eating here tonight, Mrs. Miller. My mom already made dinner. See you later.” Before she could say anything, I blinked back my tears and ran across the lawn to my house. “But I made slow-roasted beef ribs tonight! Your favorite!” Mrs. Miller called out, sounding disappointed. “At least have a few bites!” But some invitations, once declined, can never be accepted again.

I wasn’t just being delusional. Victor and I grew up together. For as long as I could remember, Mrs. Miller had treated me like her own daughter. She used to hold me in her arms and brag to the neighbors: “Look at our Kate. Gorgeous, isn’t she? She’s ours. When she grows up, she’s going to marry Victor.” “And Victor absolutely adores her!” When I turned eighteen, boys at school started asking me out. When Mrs. Miller found out, she immediately wanted to set up an official engagement. Though my parents politely declined, saying we were too young, she went out and bought a delicate gold chain with a heart pendant. “It’s just a small token for now. I’ll get you a bigger, proper diamond later. Don’t feel pressured, just wear it for fun.” It was an expensive piece of jewelry, and I felt uncomfortable accepting it. I tried to hand it back. But Victor had smiled and gently clasped it around my neck. “It looks beautiful on you, Kate. Right?” Later, I bought Mrs. Miller a gift of equal value to make things even. But that moment had rooted itself deeply in my heart. Now, it felt like a cruel joke. I was the only one who had taken it seriously.

The next morning, I didn’t wait for Victor. I drove to the office early by myself. My coworkers were surprised to see me alone. “Where’s Victor? Don’t you guys always arrive together?” I stayed quiet, my eyes involuntarily drifting to Victor’s empty desk. Sarah, my coworker, gave me a knowing nudge. “Good for you. Men need to be kept on ice sometimes. You pamper him too much, so he takes you for granted.” She pointed chin behind me. “See? You ignore him for one morning, and he’s already begging for forgiveness with flowers.” I turned around. Victor was walking in, holding a bunch of red roses. My heart fluttered with a sudden hope. Despite how much his words had hurt me yesterday, if he was planning to apologize and confess… Maybe I could forgive him. But we would need to set boundaries. He had to stay away from Alice. Just then, the click-clack of high heels echoed. Alice walked in, smelling of expensive perfume. Seeing Victor, her face lit up. “Oh! You actually bought me the roses?” Victor turned to her, tilting his head with a proud grin. “Of course. I keep my promises.” “I got up an hour early just to drive to that specific florist you mentioned.” “I even ditched Kate for you. Now that I lost my usual pretty companion, shouldn’t you make it up to me?” His tone was greasy, loaded with heavy innuendo. Sarah, who was standing next to me, gasped. “Is he out of his mind??” I lowered my gaze. Alice took the roses. They walked right past my desk, shoulder to shoulder. Neither of them spared me a single glance. Sarah fell dead silent.

That evening, our department manager organized a team dinner at a steakhouse to welcome Alice. Everyone was laughing and ordering food. Alice came back from the drink station, holding a plastic cup of Coke. She navigated the carpeted stairs perfectly fine. But the moment she reached the flat carpet right in front of me, she suddenly “tripped.” The entire cup of sticky Coke splashed all over my sweater and jeans. Sarah, who witnessed the whole thing, stood up in anger. “You bitch! Nice stunt. Anyone with eyes can see you did that on purpose!” Alice straightened up, looking down at me with zero remorse. “Oh, my bad. Victor’s little Kate~” The mockery was practically dripping from her face. Sarah couldn’t take it. She grabbed Alice by the collar. “I cannot stand fake-ass bitches!” “You know you’re trying to slide into a relationship that isn’t yours, so why don’t you keep your hands off another girl’s man?” “Do you think your pathetic act actually works on everyone—” Before Sarah could finish, a hand violently shoved her aside. Victor wrapped his arms around Alice, shielding her. He glared at me. “Kate! Since when did you become such a bully?” I stared back at him. My stained, dripping clothes were right in front of his eyes. He chose to ignore it. The pain and confusion in my chest suddenly turned into a cold, dead calm. “Victor, are those two things on your face actually eyes, or just decorations?” Victor froze, staring at me in utter disbelief. In all the years we had known each other, I had never spoken to him like this. Even when he made me angry, I would usually hide in a corner and cry quietly. Then, I’d wait for him to feel guilty and buy me food to make up. But this time, I wasn’t going to wait. Alice clung to his chest, her voice trembling with fake tears. “It’s my fault… Kate didn’t trip me. I just lost my footing and spilled it on her.” “Don’t get mad at her because of me. It’s fine. It’s normal for Kate to be upset. I’ll just apologize.” She flipped the script effortlessly. “I know you two are going to get married eventually. It’s only right that you take her side. I don’t blame you.” “Why should you suffer like this?” Victor interrupted her, his eyes cold as ice as he looked at me. “There is no marriage. It was just a joke my mom made.” “Why would I ever marry a bitter, toxic girl like her?” He guided Alice toward the exit. Alice buried her face in his chest, her voice muffled but clear enough for the room to hear. “Well, your description of her was certainly accurate…” Bitter. Bitch. He had painted me as a monster to her. A cold shiver ran down my spine.

I went to the restroom and tried to scrub the sticky brown stain off my clothes with cold water. The freezing water against my skin felt like it was numbing my heart. When I got back, Alice was laughing, looking pristine and untouched. Victor sat right next to her. Looking around their table, it was Alice, Victor, and a bunch of male coworkers from various departments catering to her every whim. She was the queen bee, surrounded by guys pouring her drinks. Sarah scoffed from beside me. “Why do men always fall for this garbage? First my ex, now Victor.” I knew Sarah’s ex-husband had cheated on her with a girl who played the victim. Sarah had kicked them both out, and now they were struggling to pay rent. Honestly, she was a great role model. “He’s not my man,” I said, giving Sarah a brief hug, as if hugging my past goodbye. “He’s Alice’s now. They deserve each other.” Sarah looked shocked. “Years of history, Kate. Can you really just let go like that?” I sat down and picked up my fork. “Haven’t you heard of the sunk cost fallacy? You don’t let past investments ruin your future.” I couldn’t even blame Alice entirely. Victor was the real issue here. In a way, I should thank her. She showed me his true colors before it was too late.

🌟 Continue the story here 👉🏻 📲 Download the “NovelMaster” app 🔍 search for “452042”, and watch the full series ✨! #NovelMaster

At the company team-building dinner, our CEO, Arthur Sterling, invited the core management team. As the Head of Tech, I arrived right on time, only to find there was no seat left for me. Chloe Ward, the Head of Sales, covered her mouth and smirked. “Oh, Elena. I’m so sorry. We thought you weren’t coming.” “After all, your department cost Arthur a fortune this year.” My heart went cold. I knew she was targeting me. I scoffed. “What is that supposed to mean, Chloe?” “Our product upgrade was highly praised by the market. On the other hand, Sales has been tanking.” “Are you trying to use the Tech Department as a scapegoat for your own missed targets?” Chloe’s face twisted with rage. She turned to Arthur. “Look at her, Arthur. This is the attitude of the Tech Department.” Our product was my shield. I looked at Arthur without fear. But Arthur only said: “Tech spent a lot of money this year. A punishment is indeed in order.” “Elena, for tonight’s dinner, you can stand and serve Chloe.” I let out a cold, disbelieving laugh. Humiliating me in public? Fine. If you want a circus, let’s burn the whole tent down.

A waiter quickly brought a set of disposable cutlery. Arthur gestured with his chin toward the space next to Chloe. “Elena, stand right there.” Chloe smirked, and the others at the table chuckled along. The Head of R&D even went so far as to slide his chair over, leaving a wider space for me to stand and wait on them. Rage surged to my head. “Mr. Sterling, every single penny the Tech Department requested this year went into product upgrades.” “Purchasing records, R&D logs, test reports—everything is documented and fully transparent.” “If you think that deserves punishment, then I have nothing to say.” “Oh, listen to Ms. Elena Lewis,” Chloe said lazily, using her fork to place a piece of sashimi into Arthur’s bowl. “As if your department is the only one working, and the rest of us are just freeloaders?” Her words actually triggered a memory. The Sales Department spent five million on a “service upgrade” this year. They burned through that cash without a second thought. And the result? A major account they had been chasing for six months fell through. Five million dollars down the drain, and third-quarter sales plummeted by thirty percent. I stared at her and sneered. “I don’t know about the other departments, but Sales has definitely been freeloading this year. You couldn’t even keep your loyal clients.” Chloe’s face turned pale instantly. “Elena! That five million was a strategic investment approved by Arthur himself. Are you questioning his decision?” Viper. She immediately deflected the blame onto Arthur. As expected, Arthur’s expression darkened. Just then, the waiter stood beside me with the cutlery. Arthur waved his hand, signaling the waiter to hand them to me. I didn’t take them. “Mr. Sterling, the value of the Tech Department is not measured by standing and serving food.” “If that’s what this company believes, then I’d rather skip this dinner.” I turned toward the exit. “Elena,” Arthur’s voice boomed behind me. “If you walk out that door tonight, don’t bother coming back to work tomorrow.” My footsteps froze. My daughter, Barbara, has congenital heart disease. She just had her second surgery last month. To pay for it, we sold our house and our car. Everyone in the upper management knew this. Arthur was bringing this up now because he knew he had me by the throat. But I couldn’t jeopardize Barbara’s treatment. Slowly, I turned back around and took the cutlery from the waiter. “Elena, I want some fish,” Chloe mocked, covering her mouth as she laughed. My grip on the fork tightened. I picked up a piece of fish and placed it on her plate. “Here you go, Chloe,” my voice sounded dry and hollow, barely recognizing it as my own. Chloe smiled smugly, picked up the fish, and put it in her mouth. Pfft! The next second, she spat the fish right into my face. The chewed-up meat hit my skin. The fishy stench rushed into my nose. In that instant, I felt the blood in my veins run cold, then boil. “Ugh! It’s overcooked and dry!” She pulled out a napkin to wipe her mouth, her eyes gleaming with malice. “Elena, your serving skills are just like your tech products—rough and useless.” The table erupted into laughter again. Arthur joined in. “Elena, did you hear that? You need to learn from Chloe.” “Tech is one thing, but interpersonal skills and service mindset need to keep up with the times.” “Don’t just stand there. See what Chloe needs. Have some initiative.” Spit and wet fish clung to my cheek, sliding down my skin. The buzzing laughter filled my ears. Tears welled in my eyes, but I bit my lip so hard, refusing to let them fall.

“Mr. Sterling, Chloe, I need to use the restroom.” I kept my eyes down, my voice barely a whisper. “Don’t leave yet, Elena,” Chloe grabbed my arm. “When clients throw up all over me after drinking too much, I don’t just walk away.” Someone chimed in, “Exactly, Elena. Frankly, you’re lucky Mr. Sterling values old loyalty, or he wouldn’t tolerate your attitude.” “With your communication skills, you wouldn’t even get a job as a janitor elsewhere.” “Elena, Mr. Sterling isn’t actually holding a grudge. You should pour him a drink and thank him for giving you this chance.” Before I could react, someone shoved a glass of vodka into my hand and pushed me forward. I stumbled two steps, landing right in front of Arthur at the head of the table. Arthur leaned back in his chair, looking at me with a greasy grin. “Elena,” he murmured, his fingers sliding over the back of my hand, giving it a suggestive squeeze. “I’ve always appreciated your skills. It’s just your temper…” This absolute bastard! I yanked my hand back, aimed at his oily face, and threw the vodka straight at him. “Ah! Arthur! Arthur, are you okay?” Chloe panicked, rushing over with napkins to wipe his face. Arthur grabbed Chloe’s hand and screamed at me, “Elena, if you don’t want to work here, get the hell out!” “Fine! Consider this my resignation!” With that, I turned and stormed out. Behind me, Chloe and Arthur’s furious curses echoed. Leaving the restaurant, I unlocked my old bicycle and rode toward the hospital. On the road, the tears I had held back all night finally poured down. Just before reaching the hospital, I wiped my face clean, forcing myself to look normal. I pushed open the door of the ward. Barbara was already asleep. My husband, Stuart, looked up when he heard the door. “You’re back…” His voice trailed off as his eyes locked onto my face. “Elena, what happened?” “Nothing,” I turned my head, avoiding his gaze. “Just had a drink, and someone spilled it on me.” Stuart was silent for a few seconds. He placed a warm hand on my shoulder. “Elena, don’t carry everything on your own.” “Barbara’s surgery is done. My company is finally making a profit. We’ll have a big payout next month.” “Don’t push yourself so hard, okay? You don’t have to carry the world.” My nose stung. I quickly looked down, whispering a soft, “Okay.” I barely slept that night. The next morning, I still went to the office. Even if I was leaving, I had to pack my things. Some of my research notes and personal files were too valuable to lose. The Tech Department was at the end of the hallway. When I reached my office door, I found it slightly ajar. I pushed it open, and my heart sank. My desk was completely bare. Not even a scrap of paper was left. Chloe was standing right in front of where my desk used to be. Hearing my footsteps, she turned around, a smug grin plastered on her face. “Oh, look who’s here! You’re quite early.” She picked up an envelope from the desk and tossed it at me. “Here. Your termination letter.” I stared at the envelope but didn’t touch it. “Where are my things?” Chloe smirked, her manicured finger pointing toward the trash can in the corner. My blood ran cold. Scattered around the trash bin were shattered pieces of glass. Those were my trophies and awards from the past few years. My professional textbooks and research notebooks were thrown into a messy pile next to them, covered in dirty footprints.

“You!” Rage erupted. I glared at Chloe. “What right do you have to touch my things? This is my personal property!” Chloe crossed her arms and scoffed. “Elena, do you still think you’re the Head of Tech?” “You’re just an ungrateful, fired washed-up woman.” “Your trash was taking up space. I did you a favor by cleaning it. No need to thank me.” Inhaling deeply, I walked over to the trash can and knelt down to pick up my notes and certificates. Suddenly, Chloe’s high heel kicked forward. Crash! Glass shards flew everywhere. I instinctively shielded my face with my arms, but I was too late. A sharp piece of glass sliced across my left cheek. “Ah!” I cried out in pain, covering my cheek. Warm blood immediately seeped through my fingers. A few of my former team members had gathered at the door. Seeing this, they tried to rush in. “Elena! Are you okay?” “Stop right there!” Chloe barked, glaring at the crowd. “Let’s see who dares to help her.” “The Tech Department is undergoing a restructuring. I haven’t submitted the layoff list to Arthur yet.” “If anyone wants to pack their bags with this fired loser, step right up!” Her threat worked like a bucket of ice water. The employees froze at the door. Only Hathaway, a girl I had personally mentored from her internship days, broke through and ran to help me up. “Elena, oh my god, you’re bleeding. Come on, I’m taking you to the ER.” Chloe’s face turned green. She pointed at Hathaway. “You’re fired too! Get out of my sight!” Hathaway helped me stand up and glared at Chloe. “Gladly. Let’s go, Elena.” At the hospital, Hathaway was still shaking with rage. “Hathaway, I’m so sorry. I dragged you into this,” I said, my voice hoarse. “Don’t say that,” Hathaway shook her head quickly. “It’s not your fault at all.” “Management and Chloe have been treating us like garbage.” “We work ourselves to the bone for the product, and they just say we’re burning cash. Our salary is a joke, and Arthur even cut our bonuses. Who would want to work for that jerk anyway?” “So, what’s your plan now?” “I… I don’t know,” she muttered, rubbing her hands nervously. I suddenly thought of Stuart’s profitable company. I took out my phone and dialed his number. “Stuart, does your company need people? Product development. I have a brilliant colleague…” “Yes!” Stuart answered without a second of hesitation. “I’ve been waiting for you to say that.” “My company is where you belong, Elena.” “Bring your people over. I’ll match whatever you want!” Hathaway’s eyes lit up. The very next day, she joined Stuart’s company with me. We quickly formed a new team and began developing a direct competitor product targeting Arthur’s core market. A few days later, Hathaway whispered to me: “Elena, some of our old colleagues from Tech reached out. They want to know if we’re hiring.” “Chloe pushed Arthur to lay off more people, and a bunch of them got sacked. They’re looking for jobs.” After a moment’s thought, I nodded. “Tell them to come.” Soon, a familiar yet completely revitalized team was assembled. Our goal was crystal clear: build a superior product and crush Arthur’s business. By the end of the year, the contract for the “Smart Community” project was up for bidding. This was the crown jewel Arthur’s company was desperate to secure, and it was our primary target. On the day the results were announced, we won. This meant Arthur’s company lost at least ten million dollars in projected revenue. That night, Arthur posted a bitter, passive-aggressive message on LinkedIn, hinting that “disloyal employees stole trade secrets to engage in malicious competition.” Chloe was more direct. She shared the news article on Twitter with the caption: “Some people will do anything for money. Stealing Arthur’s project and poaching his team. Aren’t you afraid of karma?” I smiled and put my phone down. On Friday, I took my team out to celebrate. The atmosphere was amazing. Everyone was raising their glasses. Suddenly, my phone rang. It was an unknown number. I declined it. The next second, the door of our private dining room was pushed open. Two uniformed police officers walked in, their eyes locking onto me. “Elena Lewis? We received a formal complaint.” “You are suspected of stealing proprietary technical secrets before leaving your former employer.” “Please come with us to the station to assist with the investigation.” The room fell dead silent. All glasses froze in mid-air. Hathaway was the first to react. “Officers, that’s impossible!”

🌟 Continue the story here 👉🏻 📲 Download the “NovelMaster” app 🔍 search for “452041”, and watch the full series ✨! #NovelMaster

“Is Julian checking up on you again?” My friend Howard and I married the Franklin sisters. We’ve been married for five years now, and each of us has a beautiful little daughter. I married Georgina, the older sister who runs the local pharmacy across the street from our townhouse complex. Howard married Vivian, the younger sister who works as a tattoo artist. I’ve had chronic stomach issues for years and take daily medication. But this time, right after swallowing my pills, a violent wave of nausea hit me. I spat out a mouthful of dark, blackish-red blood. Georgina’s pharmacy was right across the street. She had medical training, so clutching my burning stomach, I frantically called her for help. She declined my calls six times before finally picking up. When she did, her irritated voice blasted through the receiver. “Didn’t you just get your meds from my shop last week? If your stomach hurts, take your pills! What do you want me to do about it?” “Koman just came over to bring me lunch, and his hand got scratched by an unsterilized needle. I need to give him emergency treatment right now!” “If he gets an infection from this, he’ll have to go through absolute hell with heavy antibiotics!” I felt a violent squeeze in my stomach and threw up mouthful after mouthful of blood. On the brink of death, Howard, who had just picked up the girls from preschool, found me and saved my life. On the way to the ER, he called Vivian, telling her to rush home and look after our young daughters. But Vivian just screamed at him over the phone: “Do you have any idea how busy I am? I work late almost every night, and you’re constantly harassing me with these stupid phone calls!” “Koman’s wound needs to be treated immediately! I don’t have time to waste on your childish drama!” Left completely unattended at home, our young daughters wandered out of the house to look for us. But I was fighting for my life in the ICU. By the time we realized what had happened, both of our girls had gone missing. Howard and I were completely done. No matter what, we were getting a divorce!

I was rushed into emergency gastric lavage. When I finally woke up, every single organ in my body felt like it was on fire. The doctor determined it was acute food poisoning. If I had arrived even five minutes later, they wouldn’t have been able to save me. After literally staring death in the face, I had no lingering attachments left. I called Georgina to tell her I wanted a divorce. But she didn’t seem to care at all. “You always threaten me with divorce to get your way. Do you have any spine left? Grow some balls and act like a man!” “I already told you I’m busy! Why do you always have to make a scene and ruin my day?!” “I still need to pick up the lab results for Koman’s needle scratch, and I have to change his dressing to make sure it doesn’t get inflamed.” Just as she finished speaking, I heard Vivian’s worried voice in the background: “Georgina, the scratch on his hand still looks pretty red. Why isn’t the anti-inflammatory ointment from your shop working? Should we take him to the hospital for a full-body check-up later?” Georgina immediately panicked. “Is it really that bad? I’ll close the pharmacy early. Let’s take him to the hospital together!” Koman’s chuckle came through the line: “Georgina, it’s really not that serious. You’re basically a doctor, why are you overreacting? It’s only been a day, of course it hasn’t fully healed yet.” I had been in a coma in the hospital for two days, and she had spent the entire time babysitting Koman over a tiny scratch! My near-death food poisoning meant absolutely nothing compared to a faint red mark on Koman’s hand! Before I could speak, Georgina spoke to him in a sweet, cooing voice: “How is it not serious? It’s all my fault. I should have cleared out those old needles sooner. You were sweet enough to bring me lunch, and I let you get hurt.” “Alright, Vivian, I handle dressings for patients all the time. I’m the professional here, so let me do it. Let me take care of him this time as my apology.” But the moment she spoke to me again, her voice instantly turned cold and filled with disgust. “I don’t have time for your childish tantrums. And let me warn you, stop using divorce to threaten me.” “It only makes me despise you even more!” “Koman got hurt because of me, so of course I have to take care of him. I’m not heartless like you!” “Besides, Koman is a perfect gentleman. He has never crossed any boundaries with me. I won’t let you insult him! If you keep letting your jealousy get the better of you, I won’t let you off easy!” Koman’s helpless voice drifted over: “Is Julian checking up on you again? Maybe I should talk to him personally and explain.” Georgina simply snapped, “He doesn’t deserve an explanation,” and hung up. My body hadn’t recovered yet, and my stomach began to throb with intense pain again. I never could have imagined that after being married to Georgina for so long, and even having a beautiful daughter together, she could still be this heartless. When I took my stomach medicine that day, my stomach churned, and I started throwing up black blood. Georgina used to be a nurse. When she got tired of working night shifts, I emptied my entire savings account to help her open that pharmacy. Her pharmacy was right across the street. If she had come to take me to the hospital, she would have been much faster than an ambulance. And with her medical background, she could have performed basic first aid to keep me stable! But what did she do? She was so lost in the sweet romance of Koman bringing her lunch that she completely forgot she was a married woman and a mother! And because Koman scratched his hand, she abandoned me entirely! If she had listened to me for just one second on the phone, she would have known I was dying! But I heard it clearly on the phone—even though Koman kept saying he was fine, she insisted: “How are you fine?” “My place is a pharmacy. Who knows what kind of sick people bring in biohazards and viruses here every day? What if a virus gets into your bloodstream through that cut? What will happen to your hand then?” “You’ll have to go through so much pain to treat it later!” She pampered and coddled Koman over a scratch. Meanwhile, I was writhing on the cold floor in agonizing pain, losing the strength to even dial 911. The blood I threw up covered my face, and my breathing grew shallow. Thank God Howard, who lived right across from us, remembered my chronic stomach issues. He picked up our daughters and came to check on me first. Seeing me in critical condition, he immediately rushed me to the hospital. I took a few deep, painful breaths, barely regaining my focus. I wanted to call Howard to ask about our daughters. But before I could, Vivian did something rare—she called me first.

I didn’t talk to Vivian much. But judging by her behavior lately, she was just as toxic as her sister Georgina. Still, I answered. The next second, her shrill, irritated voice exploded in my ear. “Did you and Howard plan this? What kind of pathetic, childish game are you guys playing now?” “He claimed you were on your deathbed in the ER, yet here you are, fully energized enough to call Georgina and pick a fight. You’re completely fine, aren’t you?” “Playing these petty, jealous games all day… aren’t you guys embarrassed?” My voice was raspy as I replied, “I have no reason to lie to you. I was poisoned. I was…” Vivian cut me off, her tone turning even more hostile and impatient. “Do you think I’m an idiot?! You and Howard spend all your time plotting in the dark. Neither of you is a real man!” “Koman is three years younger than you, yet he’s twice the man you’ll ever be!” “How many times do we have to tell you? Koman is like a little brother to us! Are you deaf?” “I’m warning you, stop playing these mind games with Howard. Georgina and I are running out of patience. If you keep acting up, we will actually divorce you!” “Also, tell Howard to answer his phone and bring our daughter back!” “He called me this morning claiming you were in a coma and the girls went missing so he needed my help to find them.” “I know he did it on purpose! Don’t use my daughter’s life to threaten me. I’m not falling for it!” She slammed the phone down after her rant. Her words sounded more like a threat to Howard and me than anything else. But I didn’t have time to process her insults. She said the girls were missing. I had to find out the truth right now! I quickly called Howard, and he picked up immediately. I blurted out, “Where are Anna and Maria?!” The next second, he spoke the words that plunged me into absolute terror. “When I rushed you to the hospital, they were left alone and ran out. I checked the security cameras. They disappeared at the street corner.” I suddenly wished he hadn’t saved me. If he hadn’t, my daughter Anna and his daughter Maria wouldn’t have gone missing! I would rather have died on that floor than let anything happen to them! My blood ran cold. I pounded my chest in pure agony, my body shaking violently. Ignoring my weak physical state, I ripped the IV needle out of my arm and ran out of the hospital in my gown. I had to find them! The longer they were gone, the more danger they were in! I remembered Georgina had a local community Snapchat group. Most of the residents in our neighborhood were in it to order medicine easily. I could ask her to send a mass message to see if anyone had seen the girls. But no matter how many times I called her, she kept declining. I had no choice but to text her: [Anna is really missing! Can you please ask the neighborhood group chat if anyone saw her yesterday?] She didn’t reply. I was so frantic I wanted to crawl to her and beg on my knees. I wanted to beg her to stop being so heartless and just help me find Anna! [I am not lying to you!] But this time, my message bounced back with a red exclamation mark. She had blocked me. I was completely cut off from her. A bitter taste filled my mouth as I stumbled down the street to search on my own. I could accept that she didn’t love me anymore. I could accept that she had checked out of our marriage. But I never imagined that even the daughter she carried for nine months meant absolutely nothing to her compared to an outsider!

Howard and I searched the streets all day and night, but we found nothing. The police were also investigating, but there was still no trace of our daughters. Exhausted and broken, Howard and I sat on the curb. Hating myself, I raised my hand and slapped myself twice across the face. “It’s my fault! If I hadn’t gone to the hospital, they wouldn’t have gone missing!” Tears streamed down my face. Howard grabbed my wrists to stop me from hurting myself. In the end, it was the police officer who gave us a lead. He suggested that since social media was so powerful, we should post the girls’ pictures online and ask the community for help. But the moment I pulled out my phone, I saw an Instagram notification. It was a post Koman had uploaded just an hour ago. There were two photos. One was of Georgina kneeling in front of him, looking up at him with deep concern as she applied ointment to his scratch. The scratch was practically healed! The other photo was of Vivian smiling warmly as she peeled shrimp and fed it directly into his mouth. The caption read: [No matter how old I get, I’ll always be a baby to my favorite big sisters. A tiny scratch gets me this much love. Who wouldn’t love sisters like these? ] His tone was incredibly suggestive. Did he really just view Georgina and Vivian as “sisters”? My fingers trembled as I scrolled down to read the comments. [You’re so lucky to have two gorgeous, hot sisters! You’re living the dream, bro!] [Looking at how they take care of you, I bet they are way more than just ‘sisters’…] [Why choose? With two hot babes like that, I’d gladly die of exhaustion to have them both!] People were leaving incredibly vulgar comments about Georgina and Vivian, yet they didn’t care. They even replied to the comments, writing that “love is a two-way street” and praising how well Koman treated them. I recalled how Georgina flinched and looked disgusted whenever I tried to hold her hand at home. Talk about a double standard. Before I could read any further, Howard snatched the phone from my hand. “We are getting a divorce anyway. Why do you care what they do? They aren’t worth your tears!” “By the way, when I went back to your place yesterday, I saved the medicine you took. I’m going to take it to a lab to get it tested when I have time.” “I have a bad feeling about this. This was definitely not normal food poisoning!” He was right. I had stomach issues and had been taking those pills for years without any problems. Why did I suddenly collapse this time? I even threw up black blood! But if someone was actively trying to hurt me, then the girls’ sudden disappearance… I didn’t dare to think about it. Forcing myself to stay calm, I posted missing person flyers on every social media account I owned. Howard and I were sick with anxiety, but we had run out of options. Every minute that passed felt like a knife twisting in my chest. Since Georgina and I had mutual friends, some of them saw my posts and contacted her. Perhaps to save face, she actually called me. But the moment I answered, her sharp, accusatory voice filled my ear: “What the hell are you playing at now?! You saw that I blocked you, so you decided to make a massive scene online?” “Are you using these pathetic, cheap tricks just to get my attention?!” “How many times do I have to tell you? Koman’s hand is still healing. He can’t get it wet, so I have to stay at his place to take care of him!” “Delete those posts right now! Do you want the whole neighborhood laughing at us?” “You’re not a real man!” I could picture her face perfectly. The woman who was once gentle and polite must have a distorted, ugly expression right now, rolling her eyes at me. But none of that mattered anymore. “I’ve told you a thousand times, I am looking for our missing daughters, Anna and Maria!” “And I don’t care when you come home, or what kind of sick relationship you have with your precious Koman. I just want to finalize our divorce as soon as possible!” She screamed into the phone: “Divorce, divorce, always divorce! Is that the only threat you know?!” “It’s getting pathetic! I’m sick of hearing it!” “Koman actually brings me lunch when I’m busy. What do you do?” “A grown man whining and crying all day. You make me sick!” I realized that once your heart completely dies, you can remain perfectly calm even when speaking to the person you once loved the most. “I am serious. I want a divorce.” I hung up immediately. I didn’t want to waste another second talking to her. But to my surprise, she showed up at my door the very next day.

She was wearing a low-cut top, exposing a fresh tattoo on her chest covered in a clear plastic wrap. It was the silhouette of a man—Koman—spanning across half her chest. This was a woman who used to cry for hours over a tiny hot water burn. Yet now, she had endured hours of needles just to carve Koman’s face permanently onto her skin. She didn’t see anything wrong with tattooing another man’s face on her body. She had even worn a low-cut shirt specifically to show it off to me. She stormed in, screaming, “How dare you ignore my calls! Why haven’t you deleted those posts yet?!” “You might not care about your reputation, but I care about mine! Do you have any idea how much this is affecting my pharmacy?!” “The customers today were all gossiping about it! Some of them only came in to nose around!” I took two steps back. Howard walked out of the guest room. “You’ve lost your mind.” Just then, Vivian stormed in from across the hall. “I knew you’d be here! Delete those damn posts right now!” “How could Anna and Maria go missing? They’re probably playing a prank!” “I lost half my clients today! Some of my biggest VIP appointments were canceled because of this! Do you know how much money I lost?!” “Your petty tantrums have to stop! You guys are more dramatic than schoolgirls. It’s disgusting!” She, too, had a new tattoo. It covered her entire thigh. Looking at these sisters, I only felt disgust. Their faces looked incredibly ugly and repulsive. Noticing my gaze, Georgina defensively snapped: “We got these tattoos because Koman got hurt, and we felt responsible for it!” “We couldn’t bear to let him suffer alone, so we did this to share his pain!” I clenched my teeth and nodded. “To share his pain? Then why didn’t you just cut off a piece of your own flesh? Why did you have to tattoo his face on your bodies?” “You two are the most pathetic, desperate women on earth, throwing yourselves at a boy.” My words completely exposed her. Her face flushed with embarrassment, and she quickly tried to deflect. “You’re always so petty. I don’t want to fight with you. Just delete those posts.” “Otherwise, I’ll call the cops on you for spreading rumors and defamation!” But sometimes, life is full of coincidences. Just as she said that, there was a knock on the door, and a police officer walked in. The officer knew Howard and me, and he knew we were on the verge of a breakdown trying to find our daughters. He looked at us and said, “We have a major lead on your daughters’ disappearance!” Howard and I felt our eyes well up. We were close to tears. An officer in uniform would never lie about something this serious. Georgina froze for a moment before gasping, “What? Anna… Anna and Maria are really missing?!”

🌟 Continue the story here 👉🏻 📲 Download the “NovelMaster” app 🔍 search for “452040”, and watch the full series ✨! #NovelMaster

After three long years of agony, I finally got the call. A perfect kidney match was available. But a few moments later, my primary doctor, Dr. Evans, walked into my hospital room with a conflicted look on his face. My parents followed closely behind him. “Sophie, I am so sorry,” Dr. Evans said. ” After a comprehensive evaluation, the hospital board has decided to prioritize your sister, Chloe, for this transplant.” I froze. “Why?” “Dr. Evans, I’m the one with stage 5 kidney failure. Chloe only has mild chronic kidney inflammation.” My mother, Eleanor, avoided my gaze, but her voice was as uncompromising as ever. “Chloe is still young, Sophie. She’s not even married yet. We can’t let her life be ruined by chronic illness.” “Besides, you’ve always been resilient. You can wait a little longer. Another match will turn up.” “She’s right,” my father, Richard, chimed in from the side. “You’ve always been stronger than Chloe since you were kids. You can get through this little setback. We just can’t bear to watch Chloe suffer.”

‘You’ve always been stronger than Chloe.’ That sentence was like a curse that haunted my entire childhood. Because I was “strong,” I was sent to live with Grandma in a tiny, sleepy town in Maine when I was only three, while Richard and Eleanor took Chloe—who is just a year younger than me—to enjoy a luxurious life in Boston. Because I was “strong,” every time Chloe caused trouble, I was the one who got screamed at. Because I was “strong,” every good thing in the house rightfully belonged to Chloe, and I was left with her scraps. And now, even the kidney meant to save my life had to be given up because I was “strong.” I looked at the sheer entitlement on their faces. Decades of suffocating grievances and resentment surged in my chest, making it hard to breathe. By the time my husband, Thomas, rushed into the room, he found me trembling, my eyes completely hollow. Heartbroken, he wrapped his arms tightly around me and glared at my parents. “How could you do this? This is Sophie’s life we’re talking about!” Eleanor rolled her eyes, completely unfazed. “Oh, cut the drama, Thomas. We’re family. Sophie wants Chloe to get better too.” “Anyway, we have to go take care of Chloe now. Talk some sense into her. Tell her not to be so selfish.” With that, they turned and walked out without looking back, as if they had just settled some trivial chore. That night, Chloe updated her Instagram. “A fresh start at life! Thank you to the best parents in the world.” “Your love created a miracle for me. I can finally embrace a healthy future again!” The post featured a photo of her in a luxury private suite. Eleanor and Richard were on either side of her bed, their faces glowing with a kind of happiness I had never once received. My parents quickly reposted it with the caption: “Our little princess is finally recovering. Nothing matters more than keeping our family whole.” ‘Family.’ It turned out that in their hearts, I was never part of that “family.” Cold tears streamed down my cheeks. Clinging to Thomas, the tears I had held back for years finally spilled over. “Thomas… it hurts so much.” Thomas held me tighter, his voice cracked but firm. “Don’t be afraid, Sophie. I’m here. We don’t need them. We’ll find a way on our own.” Looking into his bloodshot eyes, a certain realization became clearer than ever before.

Without hope, the agony of dialysis was magnified a thousand times. Every time my blood circulated through that cold machine, I felt my life slipping away bit by bit. But the final straw that broke me was my parents’ next visit. They didn’t come to comfort me. They came to take. “Sophie, Chloe’s post-op recovery is costing a fortune,” Eleanor said, getting straight to the point. Her tone left no room for negotiation. “The supplements, the private nursing, the physical therapy—she needs the absolute best.” “We need you to give us your savings so we can cover Chloe’s bills.” That money was what Thomas and I had painstakingly saved since our wedding. It was our absolute last hope, the money we intended to use to seek medical help abroad. “No,” I squeezed the word out of my throat. “That is my life-saving money.” Richard’s face darkened instantly. He barked, “Sophie, how can you be so incredibly selfish?” “We raised you! What’s wrong with helping your sister out now?” “She is your flesh and blood! Once she’s fully recovered, we’ll have the time and energy to worry about you!” “Worry about me?” I felt like I had just heard the most ridiculous joke. I burst into a fit of laughter, though tears kept streaming down my face. “When have you ever worried about me? Where were you when I had a fever so high it almost turned into severe pneumonia?” “Where were you when I was being bullied at school? Now you’ve stolen my kidney, and you want to rob me of my last chance to survive?” Furious at my confrontation, Richard stepped forward, trying to grab my phone to force a PayPal transfer. Thomas immediately shielded me, blocking Richard. “Step back! Show some respect!” Thomas growled. The room fell into utter chaos. Eleanor was screaming at the top of her lungs, throwing the most disgusting insults at me. Richard shoved Thomas hard. In the scuffle, I was knocked aside by a brutal force. My frail body crashed heavily onto the hard floor. A sharp, agonizing pain erupted in my abdomen. Seeing me fall, they froze for a split second. But then Eleanor said coldly, “Stop acting, Sophie. A tiny bump doesn’t hurt that much.” Realizing they had crossed a line, they cursed under their breath and hurried out of the room like I was some kind of plague. Lying on the freezing floor, I felt the very last ounce of warmth in my body drain completely. This so-called family was a joke. And I was the punchline. It was time to wake up.

The physical pain was nothing compared to the agony in my heart. After the fall, my condition worsened, and Dr. Evans ordered absolute bed rest. Thomas stayed by my side every single second, his eyes brimming with worry and rage. I stopped him when he wanted to go confront them. I just shook my head wearily. It was pointless. There was no arguing with people who didn’t care if you lived or died. Just then, my phone rang. It was Chloe. The moment I picked up, her weak, tearful voice came through the speaker. “Sophie… I’m so sorry… I didn’t mean to take your kidney…” “But my recovery isn’t going well. The doctors say my emotions are too unstable…” “Mom and Dad said it’s all because of you. Can you please stop making them angry? I’m so scared… I’m scared my body will reject the kidney…” Her pathetic, theatrical act only sounded incredibly repulsive to me now. She was always like this. She would play the victim, stir up trouble, and then hide behind our parents while they fought her battles and handed her the spoils. In the past, I might have argued. I might have been angry. I might have cried. But now, I was just tired. “Chloe,” my voice was flat, devoid of any emotion. “You’ve already taken everything you wanted. From now on, never call me again.” With that, I hung up. I knew a bigger storm was coming. Sure enough, thirty minutes later, Eleanor and Richard kicked my hospital room door open. “Sophie! What did you say to Chloe!” Eleanor’s finger was practically poking my nose. “She just had surgery! Her vitals are unstable now because of you! She almost had to go back into the ICU!” “Do you want her dead? Is that it?” “How did we raise such a wicked daughter!” Richard roared. “You are going to apologize to Chloe right now!” “And then, you will sign a document stating that your savings are a voluntary gift to her, so she can recover in peace!” “Otherwise, we will sue you for intentional distress and physical harassment!” They yelled in perfect harmony, their vicious words sounding like they wanted to tear me apart. Looking at these two monstrous “parents,” the final thread of family affection snapped. Snap. “Fine,” I whispered. To their shock, I reached under my pillow and pulled out a document. I had asked Thomas to prepare this beforehand. “I can write the statement. I can even give her the money,” I said, handing the paper to them. Every word was crystal clear. “But first, you sign this.” They stared at the paper. It was a Legal Severance and Liability Waiver Agreement. Eleanor let out a sharp laugh. “A severance agreement? Sophie, do you really think you can survive without us? Who are you trying to threaten?” They thought it was just another one of my pathetic tantrums. Without a second thought, they scribbled their names on the document and threw it back in my face like trash. “Done! Now get your ass over to Chloe’s room and apologize!” I picked up the signed agreement, folded it carefully, and handed it to Thomas. Then, with his help, I got into a wheelchair. Just as my parents thought I was going to crawl to Chloe’s room, my phone rang. Thomas answered it and put it on speaker. A calm, professional male voice came through: “Mr. Thomas, the medical transport jet for Mrs. Sophie is ready at the airport.” “The specialized transplant clinic we contacted in Germany has everything set up. We have a perfect kidney match waiting. When can you depart?” The room fell into a dead, suffocating silence. The smug, contemptuous looks on my parents’ faces froze, replaced by pure shock and disbelief. Meeting their horrified eyes, I let out a genuine, beautiful smile—one I hadn’t made in years. Thomas pushed my wheelchair, turning away from them, away from Chloe’s room, and toward a real future. Behind us, we left two signed papers, and two thoroughly discarded “parents.”

🌟 Continue the story here 👉🏻 📲 Download the “NovelMaster” app 🔍 search for “452039”, and watch the full series ✨! #NovelMaster